ITARY  CHARACTER, 
HABIT,  DEPORTMENT, 
COURTESY  AND  DISCIPLINE 


STEWART 


MILITARY 

CHARACTER,  HABIT,  DE 

PORTMENT,  COURTESY 

AND  DISCIPLINE 


BY 
CAPTAIN  M.  B.  STEWART 

UNITED   STATES  ARMY 


Prepared  under  the  direction  of  the  Academic  Board  of 

Instruction  for  use  in  the   Training  School, 

Massachusetts  Volunteer 

Militia. 


Copyright   191$ 

by 
M.  B.  STEWART 


THE     COLLEGIATE     PRESS 

GEORGE  BANTA  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 
MENASHA,  Wis. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I. — Military  Character:  Importance,  Definition; 
Private  Character:  Effect  on  the  Public;  Analysis  of 
Military  Qualities:  Patriotism,  How  Evidenced,  Mili- 
tary Obligations;  Education  and  Training:  Extent, 
How  Attained;  Leadership:  Will  Power,  Willingness 
to  Assume  Responsibility,  Knowledge  of  Human  Na- 
ture, Courage,  Physical  Courage,  Moral  Courage; 
Military  Character,  How  Acquired ;  A  Motto 1 

CHAPTER  II. — Military  Habit  and  Deportment:  Defini- 
tion, How  Evidenced,  Bearing,  Personal  Appearance, 
Military  Courtesy,  Discipline,  Order  and  System,  De- 
votion to  Duty;  The  Habit  of  Loyalty,  The  Habit  of 
Being  Patriotic 25 

CHAPTER  III. — Military  Courtesy:  Definition,  The  Spirit 
of  Military  Courtesy,  Origin,  Importance,  Source, 
Regulations,  Position  of  Attention,  Removal  of  Hat, 
The  Salute,  General  Requirements  in  Saluting,  How 
Rendered,  The  Salute  with  the  Hand,  The  Sabre  Sa- 
lute, The  Rifle  Salute,  The  Salute  Indoors,  The  Sa- 
lute on  Official  Occasions,  Whom  to  Salute,  The  Sa- 
lute to  the  Color,  The  Star  Spangled  Banner,  Salutes 
by  Armed  Bodies,  Miscellaneous,  The  Customs  of  the 
Service,  The  Form  of  Address,  The  Use  of  the  Third 
Person,  Titles,  Calling,  Miscellaneous 34 

CHAPTER  IV. — Military  Discipline:  The  Object  of  Mili- 
tary Discipline,  How  Evidenced,  How  Attained,  Dis- 
ciplinary Training;  Discipline,  How  Promoted 56 


281995 


CHAPTER  I. 
MILITARY  CHARACTER. 

Importance.  The  subject  of  character  in  gener- 
al is  one  whose  importance  scarcely  demands  dis- 
cussion among  educated  readers.  It  is  sufficient  to 
say  that  character  is  of  vital  importance  in  every 
phase  of  life,  and  that  it  is  the  hall-mark  by  which 
we  judge  individuals  and  their  various  groupings 
and  determine  their  value  and  standing  in  society. 
The  character  of  the  individual  is  manifested  by  the 
standard  of  honor  which  he  maintains  in  his  rela- 
tions with  others; that  of  a  group, by  the  standard  of 
honor  which  the  members  of  the  group  set  for  it,  in 
other  words,  by  the  accepted  custom  of  the  group. 
In  setting  this  standard,  the  character  of  each  of  the 
members  exercises  a  certain  influence,  but  once  the 
standard  has  been  fixed  upon,  it  is  necessary  that  the 
individual  standard  of  the  members  conform  to 
that  of  the  group.  The  closer  the  association  and 
the  higher  the  standard  of  the  group,  the  greater 
becomes  the  necessity  for  individual  conformity. 
For  this  reason,  the  subject  of  character,  as  evi- 
denced by  standards  of  honor  and  conduct,  is  of 
greater  importance  in  the  military  service  than  in 
any  other  walk  of  life. 

In  civil  life,  the  grouping  of  individuals  is 
largely  voluntary  and  without  restraint.  Men  se- 
lect those  with  whom  they  wish  to  associate  in  busi- 
ness and,  in  the  nature  of  things,  men  of  similar  ed- 
ucational qualifications,  interests  and  manner  of  life 


2     Mil  it  cry  Character.  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline 

thus  become  grouped  together.  When  the  char- 
acter of  the  group,  or  of  any  of  its  members,  is  not 
pleasing  to  any  one  of  them,  he  is  at  liberty  to  with- 
draw from  it  at  any  moment  he  chooses.  To  a  cer- 
tain extent,  this  is  true  even  of  the  employee.  He 
has  the  privilege  of  selecting  the  class  of  employ- 
ment he  prefers  and  those  for  whom  he  will  labor. 
If  this  be  not  always  strictly  true,  he  is  at  liberty 
to  sever  his  relations  with  his  employers  whenever 
they  cease  to  be  agreeable  to  him. 

In  the  military  service,  the  association  is  volun- 
tary only  in  the  initial  act  of  entering  it,  and,  having 
entered  it,  the  individual  is  not  at  liberty  to  withdraw 
until  the  period  of  his  contract  has  expired.  The  men 
thus  associated  are  drawn  from  practically  every 
walk  of  life,  with  little  regard  to  their  previous  so- 
cial condition,  occupation  or  surroundings,  except 
for  an  effort  to  find  out  whether  or  not  they  may 
have  been  respectable  and  honest.  The  result  is 
that  the  army  is  made  up  of  men  who,  in  the  begin- 
ning, differ  widely  in  education,  tastes  and  habits  of 
life.  These  men  are  organized  into  groups,  the  ef- 
ficiency of  which  depends  upon  the  harmonious, 
united  effort — the  teamwork — of  all  of  the  individ- 
uals composing  the  group.  The  nature  of  the  work 
required  of  these  groups  demands  not  only  a  uni- 
form effort  on  the  part  of  each  member  of  the 
group,  but  that  this  effort  be  put  forth  with  a  con- 
stancy and  reliability  that  will  inspire  mutual  con- 
fidence. To  a  large  extent  this  condition  is  brought 
about  by  means  of  military  regulations,  training 
and  discipline  but  much  also  depends  upon  cultiva- 


Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline     3 

ting  in  each  man  a  standard  of  honor  and  conduct 
which  conforms  to  the  requirements  of  the  military 
standard. 

The  men  who  are  associated  in  the  various  groups 
of  the  militia  do  not,  in  the  beginning  differ  as 
widely  in  character  as  do  those  in  the  regular  service. 
For  each  group,  the  recruits  are  selected  from  the 
same  general  circle  and  the  character  of  each  is  some- 
what known  before  he  is  enlisted.  In  this  way,  men 
of  somewhat  similar  characters  are  brought  togeth- 
er in  the  various  groups.  On  the  other  hand,  they 
are  not  associated  together  to  the  same  extent  as  in 
the  regular  forces ;  the  compulsion  to  similiar  stand- 
ards of  honor  and  conduct  is  not  as  great;  the  op- 
portunity for  arriving  at  the  necessary  teamwork  is 
less;  hence  the  necessity  for  cultivating  in  each  the 
desired  character  is  equally  as  great  as  in  the  regular 
forces. 

It  is  therefore  important  to  all  men  in  the  military 
service  to  understand  clearly  what  constitutes  the 
desirable  military  character. 

Definition.  Military  character  may  be  defined 
as  being  the  sum  of  those  qualities  which  distinguish 
the  military  man  from  the  non-military  man;  the 
qualities  which  attach  to  a  man  as  the  holder  of  a 
military  office. 

With  this  definition  in  mind,  our  first  concern 
should  be  to  ascertain  what  qualities  go  to  make  up 
the  sum  of  the  military  character,  and  the  question 
is  best  answered  by  an  analytical  examination  of 
the  character  of  well-known  military  men  who  have 
been  generally  regarded  as  satisfactory  types. 


4     Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline 

In  the  search  for  such  types,  we  must  not  permit 
ourselves  to  become  confused  between  the  satisfac- 
tory type  of  military  character  and  the  successful 
type  of  military  character.  The  one  is  not  depend- 
ent upon  the  other.  The  satisfactory  military  char- 
acter may  or  may  not  have  been  successful,  or  the 
reverse,  although,  other  things  being  equal,  the  two 
would  in  general  go  together. 

In  the  history  of  the  United  States,  two  men 
stand  out  as  types  of  the  satisfactory  military  char- 
acter. They  are  General  George  Washington  and 
General  Robert  E.  Lee.  Both  were  men  of  the 
ideal  military  character ;  one  met  with  military  suc- 
cess, the  other  did  not. 

In  the  analysis  of  these  two  characters,  we  find 
identical  qualities.  Considering  the  military  side 
of  their  characters,  they  were  both,  first  of  all,  en- 
dowed with  a  high  sense  of  patriotism,  or  devotion 
to  the  causes  they  respectively  represented.  For 
their  day,  they  were  both  men  of  highest  military  at- 
tainments; both  were  examples  of  unexcelled  lead- 
ership ;  both  men  of  unquestionable  moral  and  phy- 
sical courage. 

Considering  the  non-military  side  of  their  char- 
acters, we  find  them  both  to  be  men  of  the  highest 
sense  of  honesty,  justice  and  decency;  both  were 
dignified,  god-fearing  men  who  inspired  the  respect 
and  admiration  of  all  law-abiding  men.  President 
Jefferson  said  of  Washington,  "His  integrity  was 
the  most  pure,  his  justice  the  most  inflexible,  I  have 
ever  known.  He  was  indeed  a  wise,  a  good,  a  great 
man."  Benjamin  Hill,  speaking  of  General  Lee,  said, 


Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline     5 

"He  was  a  public  officer  without  vices,  a  private 
citizen  without  wrong,  a  neighbor  without  reproach, 
a  Christian  without  hypocrisy,  and  a  man  without 
guilt."  In  brief  both  of  these  men  were  possessed 
of  those  qualities  in  which  we  naturally  repose  res- 
pect, admiration  and  confidence. 

From  the  foregoing  analysis,  it  would  appear 
that  few  desirable  qualities  were  lacking  in  the  char- 
acter of  either  of  these  men,  and  the  conclusion 
would  seem  to  be  that  the  ideal  type  of  military 
character  may  well  include  every  manly  quality.  A 
well  known  diplomat,  Signor  des  Planches,  has  giv- 
en his  conclusion  in  these  words,  "I  propose  that  a 
perfectly  good  soldier  is  almost  necessarily  a  good 
citizen."  To  this  we  can  only  add  that,  in  addition 
to  the  qualities  of  the  ideal  citizen,  the  soldier  should 
possess  certain  other  special  qualities.  For  example, 
an  American  Jesuit  is  an  American  and  something 
more — something  special.  Likewise,  the  soldier  is 
a  citizen  and  something  more.  He  is  a  citizen  who 
is,  in  addition,  a  specialist  in  the  profession  of  arms. 

It  is  hardly  possible  to  select  from  the  whole  list 
of  desirable  human  qualities  any  certain  few  and  to 
say  of  them  that  they  constitute  the  sum  which  goes 
to  make  up  the  ideal  character  of  any  certain  type. 
However  it  is  possible  to  select  certain  of  these  qual- 
ities and  to  say  that,  without  them,  a  certain  type  of 
character  is  not  complete.  Thus  it  is  with  the  mili- 
tary character.  In  every  walk  of  life,  a  man  must 
be  actuated  by  some  positive  motive ;  he  must  have 
the  courage  to  initiate  and  carry  his  undertaking  to 
completion ;  he  must  have  the  necessary  education 


6     Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline 

and  training  to  go  about  it  intelligently;  and  he 
must  possess  a  personality  which  will  lend  to,  rather 
than  detract  from,  his  success.  The  military  man 
should  be  inspired  by  an  active  patriotism  which  will 
impel  him,  if  necessary,  to  sacrifice  his  comfort  and 
interests  to  the  benefit  of  his  country,  he  should  pos- 
sess the  physical  courage  to  face  personal  danger 
and  the  moral  courage  to  assume  responsibility  for 
the  lives  of  others;  he  mtist  have  a  knowledge  of 
military  art  and  training  in  order  that  his  efforts 
may  be  directed  to  proper  ends ;  he  must  possess  the 
qualities  of  a  leader  in  order  to  employ  the  efforts 
of  others  to  the  best  advantage. 

Private  Character.  Before  proceeding  to  a  more 
detailed  discussion  of  the  essential  qualities  of  the 
military  character,  it  should  be  understood  that  the 
military  qualities  cannot  be  wholly  divorced  from 
the  non-military  qualities,  for  wrhile  the  private 
character  does  not  necessarily  effect  the  man's  mili- 
tary ability,  it  does,  however,  effect  his  military  ef- 
ficiency. For  example:  a  man  wrhose  private  con- 
duct is  not  exemplary  cannot  fully  command  the 
respect,  hence  the  loyalty,  of  his  men.  To  this  ex- 
tent, he  will  be  failing  in  one  of  the  great  qualities 
of  the  successful  commander,  namely,  leadership, 
Even  in  the  minor  details  of  military  duty  he  will 
be  at  a  disadvantage.  He  cannot  administer  dis- 
cipline properly.  If  his  moral  sense  is  such  that 
his  own  conduct  is  improper,  he  will  in  all  probabil- 
ity overlook  similar  lapses  in  those  under  his  com- 
mand, or  though  inclined  not  to  overlook  them,  he 
cannot  in  justice  punish  his  men  for  doing  no  more 


Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline     7 

than  he  himself  does.  In  other  words,  he  can  only 
measure  the  conduct  of  his  men  by  the  standard  of 
his  own  conduct. 

The  private  character  of  that  brilliant  soldier, 
Napoleon,  would  seem  in  a  way  to  disprove  the  fore- 
going statement,  but  it  must  be  remembered  that  he 
lived  in  an  age  whose  moral  code  was  not  of  the 
highest.  Moreover,  his  private  character  was  not 
known  to  his  followers,  in  fact  it  was  not  fully 
known  beyond  a  circle  of  intimates  until  much  lat- 
er. He  was  credited,  and  rightly,  by  the  great  mass 
of  the  people  with  being  a  blazing  patriot.  He  met 
with  overwhelming  success  and  this  success  blinded 
the  people  to  all  else,  with  the  result  that  they  at- 
tributed to  him,  their  leader,  the  highest  of  all  qual- 
ities and  motives. 

Effect  on  the  Public.  Another  and  an  impor- 
tant consideration  is  to  be  found  in  the  manner  in 
which  misconduct  on  the  part  of  a  military  man  is 
reflected  in  the  esteem  in  which  the  military  estab- 
lishment is  held  by  the  people.  People  esteem  a 
man's  profession  to  the  extent  that  he,  by  his  con- 
duct, forces  them  to  esteem  it,  and  he  will  have  dif- 
ficulty in  convincing  them  that  the  institution  he 
represents  is  any  better  in  its  principles  than  are  the 
principles  that  he  himself  practices.  Moreover, 
the  military  man  must  always  bear  in  mind  that  his 
profession  is  not  one  which  enjoys  popular  esteem 
except  during  the  unfortunate  periods  when  it  is 
called  into  active  service.  As  a  rule,  the  people 
do  not  appreciate  the  necessity  of  a  peace-time 
military  establishment  and  are  apt  to  resent  it  as  a 


8     Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline 

more  or  less  wasteful  expense.  Such  being  the  case 
they  are  quick  to  criticize  faults  in  the  military  man 
which  they-  would  overlook  in  the  civilian,  and  un- 
less the  military  man  would  bring  disrepute  upon  his 
profession,  he  must  model  his  conduct  most  care- 
fully. 

Analysis  of  Military  Qualities.  Having  decided 
upon  the  qualities  which  are  essential  to  the 
military  character,  a  brief  discussion  of  each  is  nec- 
essary to  a  complete  understanding  of  the  subject. 

Patriotism.  Patriotism  may  be  defined  as  being 
the  love  or  esteem  one  feels  for  his  native  or  adopt- 
ed country  and,  like  all  other  sentiments,  it  is  best 
made  known  by  the  attitude  and  conduct  of  the  one 
who  cherishes  it.  Patriotism  naturally  assumes  dif- 
ferent forms  in  different  individuals.  In  one,  it 
may  be  merely  an  admiration  for  the  country  and 
for  the  principles  which  the  country  represents;  in 
another,  it  may  take  the  form  of  a  genuine,  though 
selfish,  interest  in  the  country's  welfare  on  account 
of  the  benefit  conferred  by  citizenship  in  the  coun- 
try; in  another,  it  may  evidence  itself  by  an  active 
interest  in  every  phase  of  the  country's  welfare,  its 
dignity,  its  integrity,  its  wealth  and  its  security. 
When  this  active  interest  reaches  the  proportions 
of  a  devotion  which  impels  the  individual  to  make 
self-sacrifices  for  the  benefit  of  his  country,  the  true 
patriotism  has  been  developed. 

We  ordinarily  think  of  patriotism  as  implying 
something  heroic,  of  involving  courage,  fortitude 
and  sacrifice  of  self,  even  of  life,  but  few  men  are 
ever  called  upon  to  give  such  evidence  of  their  de- 


Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline     9 

votion  to  their  country.  However,  every  man  may 
be  called  upon,  in  his  public  or  his  private  capacity, 
to  give  evidence  to  his  patriotism  every  day  of  his 
life. 

How  Evidenced.  In  his  private  life,  the  average 
man  may  be  frequently  tempted  by  self  interest  to 
do  things  which  are  unlawful  or  which,  if  they  are 
not  actually  unlawful,  are  of  such  a  nature  as  to 
stamp  the  one  who  does  them  as  a  man  of  question- 
able character,  one  who  indulges  in  sharp  practices, 
one  who  thinks  of  the  law  only  as  a  barrier  over 
which  he  must  not  step.  One  such  character  in  a 
community  ordinarily  harms  only  himself,  but  the 
presence  of  many  such  in  a  community,  especially 
if  they  possess  wealth  and  power,  will  eventually 
reflect  upon  the  honesty  and  integrity  of  the  entire 
community's  reputation.  The  reputation  of  a 
country  is  but  the  average  of  the  reputation  of  the 
communities  which  compose  it.  A  country  be- 
comes possessed  of  a  reputation  for  lawlessness,  dis- 
honesty and  untrustworthiness  only  when  the  peo- 
ple, presumably  on  account  of  their  own  individ- 
ual characters,  permit  their  representatives  to  give 
it  such  a  character. 

True  patriotism,  therefore,  demands  of  a  citizen 
a  proper  conception  of  and  obedience  to  the  laws  of 
the  country  and  a  manner  of  life  in  accordance  with 
those  laws. 

Again,  when  the  average  man  has  cast  his  ballot 
for  a  public  officer,  he  feels  that  he  has  done  his  full 
duty  as  a  citizen.  Thereafter  he  is  content  to  per- 
mit this  representative  to  administer  the  affairs  of 


10  Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline 

his  office  properly  or  improperly  as  he  may  choose, 
or,  if  they  be  not  properly  administered,  to  feel  that 
it  is  the  duty  of  someone  else  to  see  that  matters  are 
corrected.  The  falseness  of  such  an  attitude  may 
be  illustrated  by  the  probable  action  of  the  same  man 
should  he  happen  to  be  a  stockholder  in  a  business 
concern.  Having  assisted  in  electing  the  officers  and 
directors  to  carry  on  the  business  of  the  concern,  he 
exercises  as  much  watchfulness  over  their  work  as 
is  possible  and,  if  their  administration  is  dishonest 
or  lacking  in  wisdom,  he,  with  the  other  stockhold- 
ers, takes  active  steps  to  have  the  abuses  corrected. 
The  government  of  the  country,  the  state,  the  coun- 
ty, the  municipality,  is  each  and  every  one  a  business 
in  which  each  citizen  is  a  stockholder,  and  the  duty 
of  every  stockholder  in  the  business  of  government 
includes  a  supervision  of  the  acts  of  his  representa- 
tives which  will  insure  wise  and  honest  administra- 
tion of  its  affairs. 

Military  Obligations.  In  the  nature  of  things, 
true  patriotism  includes  active  participation  in  main- 
taining the  security  of  the  country.  At  times  this 
active  participation  may  consist  only  in  seeing  that 
the  proper  governmental  representatives  take  prop- 
er steps  to  provide  for  the  security  of  the  country; 
at  other  times,  it  may  necessitate  active  military  ser- 
vice on  the  part  of  every  citizen. 

Under  the  Constitution,  every  male  citizen  of  the 
United  States  and  every  male  of  foreign  birth  who 
has  declared  his  intention  of  becoming  a  citizen,  be- 
tween the  ages  of  eighteen  and  forty-five  years,  is 
a  member  of  either  the  organized  or  the  unorganized 


Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline  1 1 

militia  of  the  country  and  as  such  may  be  called  up- 
on to  perform  active  military  service  if  it  be  needed. 
This  service,  though  rarely  demanded,  is  an  obliga- 
tion which  citizenship  requires  in  return  for  the  bene- 
fits it  confers.  Military  service  demands  that  a 
man  be  physically  strong  in  order  to  undergo  its 
hardships.  The  man  who  through  neglect  or  abuse 
has  permitted  himself  to  become  physically  unfit  to 
endure  a  reasonable  amount  of  such  hardships,  has 
rendered  himself  incapable  of  military  service.  No 
matter  how  great  his  desire  may  be,  he  cannot  give 
a  man's  service  to  his  country,  cannot  repay  the  ob- 
ligation he  owes  to  the  country.  He  has  become 
a  noncombatant  through  his  own  misconduct  and 
is  a  burden  which  other  and  better  men  must  pro- 
tect. He  occupies  the  same  relative  position  as  the 
man  who,  through  misconduct,  has  reduced  himself 
to  paralysis  and  who  must  depend  upon  others  to 
protect  his  family  and  fireside  from  indignity  and 
outrage. 

Every  man  who  is  interested  in  a  business  takes 
the  necessary  steps  to  insure  it  against  damage  or 
destruction.  He  is  not  content  to  merely  provide 
for  reimbursement  in  the  event  of  its  destruction; 
he  arranges  to  guard  against  and  prevent  this  des- 
truction. There  is  no  means  by  which  a  country 
may  insure  itself  against  disaster  except  by  taking 
the  necessary  steps  to  prevent  the  disaster.  The 
only  means  by  which  disaster  to  a  country  may  be 
averted  or  prevented  is  a  sound  and  adequate  mili- 
tary policy.  The  citizen  who  is  truly  interested  in 
his  country's  welfare  will  insist  that  his  representa- 


1 2  Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline 

lives  make  proper  provision  for  its  security  by 
adopting  and  maintaining  a  military  policy  which 
will  not  tempt  other  nations  to  disregard  the  rights 
of  his  own  country. 

Education  and  Training.  General  Von  Der 
Goltz  of  the  German  Army  says  of  education  that 
"Knowledge  enhances  assurance,  while  ignorance 
is  the  beginning  of  decadence.  The  feeling  of 
commanding  the  means  and  of  having,  at  worst,  to 
fight  against  misfortune,  steels  self-confidence.  It 
tells  us,  'What  others  can  do,  you  can  do  also',  and 
thus  stimulates  the  will  to  rule  and  to  lead." 

Many  others  have  testified  to  the  necessity  for 
military  education  and  training  in  no  uncertain 
terms.  Napoleon  in  his  characteristic  way  express- 
es himself  on  the  subject  in  the  following  question, 
"When  ignorance  causes  ten  men  to  be  killed  where 
but  two  should  have  been  lost,  is  it  not  responsible 
for  the  blood  of  the  other  eight?" 

As  a  result  of  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  Wash- 
ington, Knox,  Hamilton  and  many  others  labored 
incessantly  for  the  establishment  of  systematic 
training  and  education  of  military  men.  The  ne- 
cessity for  this  has  been  reiterated  and  emphasized 
by  every  war  in  which  this  country  has  engaged  and 
it  is  the  problem  which  absorbs  the  attention  and 
thought  of  every  military  student  in  this  country 
today. 

The  Extent.  Military  education  and  training  is 
a  most  comprehensive  expression.  The  extent  to 
which  both  can  be  carried  is  almost  unlimited,  ex- 
cept by  the  time  that  may  be  devoted  to  them. 


Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline  13 

A  simple  list  of  the  subjects  which  the  profession- 
al soldier  must  master  before  he  may  consider  him- 
self well  grounded  in  his  profession  is  staggering 
to  the  beginner.  The  field  of  military  training  is 
as  boundless  as  that  of  any  other  art.  The  time  in 
which  to  prepare  himself  for  his  many  duties  is  all 
too  short  even  for  the  man  who  makes  a  profession 
of  arms ;  for  him  who  may  undertake  it  only  as  an 
incident  to  his  other  occupation,  it  seems  impos- 
sible of  accomplishment.  However,  for  such  there 
is  a  degree  of  education  and  training  which  enables 
them  to  perform  subordinate  duty  in  an  efficient 
manner  and  which  is  capable  of  being  gained  with- 
out the  sacrifice  of  time  and  effort  which  every  man 
owes  to  his  personal  interests. 

How  Attained.  The  Infantry  Drill  Regula- 
tions indicates  a  degree  of  education  and  training 
which  may  be  considered  as  satisfactory  for  the  sol- 
dier of  each  grade. 

It  states  that  the  instruction  and  training  of  of- 
ficers and  non-commissioned  officers  should  be  thor- 
ough in  the  duties  of  their  respective  grades  and  in 
those  of  the  next  higher  grades.  Following  this 
principle,  the  acquisition  of  military  education  and 
training  is  a  gradual  process,  and,  timed  by  the  var- 
ious steps  in  promotion,  is  capable  of  being  absorbed 
at  the  expense  of  only  a  reasonable  amount  of  time 
and  effort.  Furthermore,  it  possesses  an  actual  ad- 
vantage to  the  man  who  must  obtain  his  education 
and  training  in  this  manner,  for  thorough  training  in 
each  grade  is  the  likeliest  stepping  stone  to  the  next 


1  t  Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline 

higher  grade  and  makes  the  mastery  of  that  higher 
grade,  when  attained,  less  difficult. 

The  principle  is  not  peculiar  to  military  life 
but  it  is  fundamental  and  applies  to  the  profession 
of  arms  with  perhaps  greater  force  than  to  most 
other  professions.  It  is  the  principle  upon  which 
every  great  soldier  has  had  to  build  his  career  and  to 
rise  to  distinction.  It  is  the  principle  which  has 
made  it  possible  for  countless  volunteers,  without 
preliminary  education  or  training,  to  serve  well  and 
with  honor  both  to  their  country  and  to  themselves. 

Outlines  of  what  this  education  and  training  in- 
volves for  each  grade  are  published  from  time  to 
time  by  the  various  headquarters  responsible  for  the 
instruction  of  troops.  The  details  are  to  be  found 
in  the  various  manuals  provided  and  the  training 
is  arranged  and  conducted  by  responsible  officers 
in  each  group.  Under  this  system,  the  student  has 
only  to  lend  his  earnest  effort  to  follow  the  lines  of 
study  pointed  out  to  him  and  to  master  them  as 
thoroughly  as  his  time  and  ability  will  permit,  be- 
ing content  to  advance  slowly  and  steadily,  regard- 
ing promotion  as  a  responsibility  which  he  may  ac- 
cept only  when  he  has  thoroughly  qualified  him- 
self to  discharge  it. 

Leadership.  The  infantry  Drill  Regulations 
defines  leadership  as  consisting  of  the  application 
of  sound  tactical  principles  to  concrete  cases  on  the 
battle-field.  It  further  enumerates  the  qualities  of 
the  successful  leader  as  being  self-reliance  initia- 
tive, aggressiveness  and  a  proper  conception  of 
teamwork.  Military  education  and  training  are, 


Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline  15 

of  course  included  in  the  ability  to  apply  sound  tac- 
tical principles. 

The  commander  who  possesses  these  qualities  will 
be  well  qualified  to  direct  the  military  efforts  of 
men  and  will,  in  all  probability,  meet  with  success. 
Whether  he  will  be  able  to  inspire  the  confidence  of 
his  men  and  win  their  co-operation  or  teamwork  is 
a  debatable  question.  It  is  doubtful  if  the  display 
of  these  qualites  alone  would  have  held  the  bare- 
footed, half-starved,  Continental  soldiers  in  their 
freezing  huts  at  Valley  Forge  or  would  have  in- 
spired the  tattered  veterans  of  Lee's  army  to  follow 
him  to  the  last  bitter  hour  of  surrender.  True,  de- 
votion to  the  cause  for  which  they  fought  played  its 
part  in  the  case  of  both  armies,  but  leadership  was 
largely  responsible  for  the  loyalty  with  which  those 
men  clung  to  their  beloved  chiefs,  and  it  is  in  the 
non-military  side  of  those  leaders'  characters  that 
we  find  the  qualities  that  inspired  that  loyalty  and 
devotion. 

In  this  view  of  the  matter,  we  must  remember  that 
we  are  considering  leadership  as  applied  to  all 
grades.  It  is  highly  probable  that  a  commander  of 
a  large  force,  removed  as  he  necessarily  is  from  im- 
mediate contact  with  his  men,  might  never  be  called 
upon  to  display  qualities  other  than  those  enumerated 
in  the  Drill  Regulations,  though  in  this  connection 
it  is  interesting  to  read  what  Lord  Woolsey  says 
of  the  siege  of  Sebastopol.  He  says,  "During  the 
siege,  I  verily  believe  that  a  large  proportion  of  our 
men  did  not  know  the  name  of  the  general  officer 
commanding.  They  seldom  saw  him;  he  did  not 


16  Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline 

live  amongst  them.  If  he  had  any  feeling  in  com- 
mon with  them,  they  did  not  know  it." 

The  leader,  no  matter  how  brilliant  may  be  his 
plans,  may  reasonably  anticipate  success  only  when 
he  may  rely  upon  his  subordinates  to  carry  out  his 
plans  in  the  same  spirit  in  which  he  has  conceived 
them.  Battle  is  the  supreme  test  of  courage  and 
physical  endurance.  It  demands  of  each  man  the 
utmost  mental  and  physical  effort.  Without  this, 
the  most  brilliant  plan  is  foredoomed  to  failure. 
Men  may  be  driven  into  battle,  but  they  must  be  in- 
spired to  do  their  best,  and  this  inspiration  must  be 
largely  drawn  from  their  leaders.  Men  must  be  led 
in  campaign  and  battle,  if  not  actually,  then  in 
spirit,  and  the  man  who  would  lead  successfully 
must  possess  qualities  that  will  inspire  men  to  follow 
him  even  in  the  face  of  temptation  to  turn  back. 

Briefly,  some  of  these  qualities  may  be  enumerat- 
ed as  follows : 

Will  Power.  The  man  who  desires  to  have  his 
opinion*  respected  by  his  fellow  men  must  advance 
them  with  determination  and  support  themi  logi- 
cally and  tenaciously  to  the  point  where  they  im- 
press themselves  on  others  as  being  facts.  The 
great  mass  of  people  likes  to  be  impressed  and  those 
who  have  the  ability  to  impress  the  people  are  look- 
ed up  to  as  leaders.  Under  a  man  of  strong  will, 
the  average  man  feels  secure  and  this  fancied  se- 
curity, in  turn,  gives  rise  to  a  feeling  of  courage  and 
ability. 

Willingness  to  Assume  Responsibility.  The 
leader  who  says  to  his  men,  "Follow  me.  Do  as  I 


Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline  17 

tell  you.  I  will  assume  the  responsibility,"  will  nev- 
er lack  for  capable  and  willing  followers.  The  man 
who  has  little  physical  fear  of  danger  is  often  a 
moral  coward  in  the  face  of  responsibility  and 
though  it  is  always  understood  in  the  military  ser- 
vice that  the  leader  is  responsible,  it  is  assuring  to 
the  follower  to  know  that  this  responsibility  will 
not  be  shirked.  The  man  who  has  confidence  in 
himself  will  have  little  difficulty  in  commanding  the 
confidence  in  others. 

Knowledge  of  Human  Nature.  Every  leader 
must  be  a  student  of  human  nature.  No  man  can 
lead  men  who  does  not  understand  how  to  appeal 
to  them ;  no  man  can  know  how  to  appeal  to  men  un- 
til he  knows  them,  their  characteristics,  motives,  am- 
bitions and  limitations.  Caesar  showed  himself  to 
be  a  student  of  human  nature  and  of  his  own  men 
in  particular  when  he  told  his  wavering  army  that 
they  might  stay  behind  but  that  he  and  the  Tenth 
Legion  would  go  forth  to  meet  the  enemy.  In  his 
concluding  sentence  of  the  order  for  the  march  to 
the  sea,  General  Sherman  displayed  his  knowledge 
of  the  manner  in  which  to  appeal  to  his  men.  He 
said,  "He  (General  Sherman)  hopes  to  lead  you 
to  achievements  equal  in  importance  to  those  of  the 
past." 

Courage.  Courage  is  defined  as  being  that  qual- 
ity of  mind  which  enables  one  to  encounter  danger 
and  difficulty  with  firmness  and  without  fear  or  de- 
pression. 

This  definition,  being  a  broad  one,  includes  those 
qualities  which  we  know  separately  as  physical  and 


1 8  Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline 

as  moral  courage,  and  for  this  reason  is  well  suited 
as  a  definition  of  the  particular  courage  required  of 
the  military  man. 

Physical  Courage.  We  ordinarily  understand  by 
physical  courage,  a  lack  of  fear  of  bodily  injury. 
This  lack  may  be  total  or  only  partial,  and  it  may 
take  almost  as  many  forms  as  there  are  types  of 
men.  One  man  may  unhesitatingly  enter  a  brawl 
in  which  he  risks  serious  physical  injury,  yet  may 
shrink  from  the  mere  idea  of  having  a  tooth  drawn. 
Another  may  feel  little  fear  in  facing  a  rifle  or  a 
revolver,  yet  may  be  an  arrant  coward  when  threat- 
ened with  a  knife.  Many  men  who  are  otherwise 
unaffected  by  scenes  of  violence,  become  faint  at 
the  sight  of  blood. 

In  the  soldier,  we  ordinarily  think  of  courage  as 
being  a  kind  of  recklessness  which  enables  him  to 
face  danger,  even  death,  without  fear  or  shrinking. 
It  may  be  definitely  stated  that  few  normal  men  pos- 
sess such  courage.  Marshal  Ney  said,  "The  one 
who  says  he  never  knew  fear  is  a  compound  liar." 
The  number  of  men  who  are  without  definite  sensa- 
tions of  fear  would  certainly  fall  far  short  of  the 
military  demands  of  even  the  smallest  nation.  How- 
ever, fear  does  not  effect  all  alike;  all  do  not  give 
like  evidence  of  the  fear  they  may  feel.  Some  con- 
trol it  naturally,  as  they  control  all  of  their  other 
emotions;  some  have  trained  themselves  to  control 
this  particular  emotion.  It  is  said  of  Turenne  that 
on  going  into  battle  he  used  to  address  himself  as 
follows,  "You  tremble,  body;  well,  you  would  trem- 
ble more  if  you  knew  where  I  am  going  to  take 


Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline  19 

you."  Control  gained  as  the  result  of  such  training 
is,  in  general,  more  reliable  than  the  natural  control, 
since  the  man  who  thus  schoolSl  himself  enters  dan- 
ger fully  alive  to  its  consequences  and  hence  is  less 
likely  to  panic  than  the  man  who  may  have  this  re- 
alization suddenly  thrust  upon  him. 

Courage  which  is  the  result  of  training  and  dis- 
cipline is  the  kind  upon  which  the  control  of  men 
in  battle  is  based.  With  such  courage,  the  man 
when  facing  danger  obeys  the  voice  of  command 
rather  than  the  dictates  of  his  own  will. 

Training  and  discipline  enter  into  the  control  of 
the  soldier  in  still  another  form.  During  his  train- 
ing, he  is  associated  with  other  soldiers  among  whom 
he  forms  acquaintances  and  friendships.  He  nat- 
urally desires  the  good  opinion  of  these  friends  and 
acquaintances.  He  knows  that  any  display  of  fear 
on  his  part  will  forfeit  their  good  opinion,  even 
though  his  friends  may  be  suffering  from  the  same 
fear,  and  in  the  end  his  pride  smothers  his  fear. 
In  this  connection,  an  emiment  German  soldier  has 
said,  ''The  fear  of  being  despised  as  a  coward  by 
his  comrades  is  in  the  end  greater  than  his  fear 
of  death." 

It  would  seem,  therefore,  that  the  crime  of  cow- 
ardice does  not  consist  in  being  afraid  but  in  giving 
away  to  this  fear. 

Moral  Courage.  The  term  moral  courage  has 
come  to  be  understood  as  meaning  that  quality  of 
mind  which  impels  one  to  the  performance  of  a  duty 
in  spite  of  the  lack  of  desire  or  of  the  fear  of  do- 
ing it. 


20  Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline 

We  have  seen  that  every  soldier  is  forced  through 
discipline  and  pride  to  an  outward  display  of  cour- 
age, and  for  the  enlisted  man  and  the  subordinate 
officer,  this  courage  will  be  sufficient  if  it  carries  him 
through  the  proper  performance  of  the  duty  with 
which  he  is  charged.  His  responsibility  ends  with 
proper  obedience  to  orders.  However,  the  leader 
must  possess  courage  in  addition  to  that  which  im- 
pels him  to  mere  obedience.  He  must  have  the 
courage  of  responsibility,  moral  courage,  the  cour- 
age of  his  convictions  which  will  enable  him  to  ini- 
tiate a  plan  when  he  knows  that  its  execution  will 
bring  danger  to  himself  and  to  his  men;  he  must 
have  the  courage  to  face  great  sacrifices,  to  order 
them  and  to  forget  them  when  they  have  been  made 
in  accordance  with  the  demands  of  a  military  situ- 
ation; he  must  have  the  courage  to  face  disaster 
without  depression,  to  meet  it  boldly  and  with  the 
determination  to  convert  it  to  his  advantage. 

Not  every  man  is  capable  of  the  courage  of  the 
leader.  General  Von  Der  Goltz  says,  "Courage 
and  love  of  responsibility  are  necessary  to  a  general 
but  are  rare  gifts ....  Courage  of  responsibility  is 
born  of  a  certain  nobility  of  mind  which  must  be  in- 
herent in  the  general,  and  which  ennobles  his  whole 
nature.  It  consists  of  a  sense  of  superiority  which 
raises  above  the  common  herd,  without  making  one 
presumptouSj  and  which  may  be  innate  or  acquired 
in  the  school  of  life." 

In  this  connection,  it  may  not  be  out  of  place  to 
point  a  warning.  The  mere  command  of  men  in 
time  of  peace  involves  little  more  than  a  knowledge 


Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline  21 

of  certain  set  forms.  In  war,  it  involves  a  tremen- 
dous responsibility.  The  man  who  voluntarily  as- 
sumes the  command  of  men  at  such  a  tinfe,  takes  up- 
on himself  the  responsibility  for  their  proper  em- 
ployment. To  him,  each  man  under  his  command 
confides  his  life  and,  in  return,  is  entitled  to  have 
his  life  protected  by  every  safeguard  which  knowl- 
edge and  ability  can  afford  him.  When  men  are 
sacrificed  in  proper  employment,  it  is  a  matter  of 
military  necessity;  when  they  are  sacrificed  need- 
lessly or  through  ignorance,  it  is  a  crime  little  short 
of  murder,  and  the  man  who  accepts  the  responsi- 
bility of  commanding  men  in  war  without  the 
knowledge  or  ability  to  lead  them  properly  is  a  ten- 
tative murderer  who  requires  only  the  fruits  of  bat- 
tle to  consummate  his  crime. 

Military  Character,  How  Acquired.  In  the  fore- 
going discussion,  we  have  considered  somewhat  of 
the  qualities  which  go  to  make  up  the  sum  of  the 
military  character  and  the  question  which  next  pre- 
sents itself  is, — How  may  these  qualities  be  acquired 
and  cultivated?  The  answer  is  not  capable  of  being 
written  in  mere  formulae. 

The  development  of  military  character  is  a  prob- 
lem which  each  individual  must  solve  according  to 
the  circumstances  of  his  own  life.  Many  of  the  de- 
sirable qualities  are  innate  in  every  normal  man; 
many  result  from  proper  upbringing ;  some  must  be 
absorbed  from  the  school  of  life.  The  purely  pro- 
fessional qualities  are,  in  general  only  to  be  acquired 
from  military  association  and  activity.  The  only 
textbooks  are  to  be  found  in  the  lives  and  exper- 


22  Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline 

iences  of  those  who  have  been  recognized  as  great 
soldiers  and  great  citizens. 

Among  officers,  military  character  is  largely  de- 
veloped by  the  circumstances  under  which  they  en- 
ter the  service.  The  character  of  the  West  Pointer 
is  molded  in  great  part  while  he  is  a  cadet  under  the 
discipline  and  instruction  of  the  Academy  and  in 
that  atmosphere  of  tradition  which  is  more  potent 
even  than  regulations.  The  character  of  the  officer 
who  rises  from  the  ranks  takes  its  form  in  the  prac- 
tical school  of  military  life,  with  the  example  of 
trained  and  disciplined  soldiers  and  educated  officers 
for  a  text  and  the  restrictions  of  discipline  to  guide 
and  direct  him.  The  character  of  the  officer  ap- 
pointed from  civil  life  is  the  product  of  his  earnest- 
ness, his  ability  to  observe  and  to  adapt  himself  to 
his  surroundings  and  to  absorb  the  unfamiliar  at- 
mosphere. Unfortunately  he  lacks  much  of  the  re- 
straining influence  with  which  officers  of  the  other 
two  classes  are  surrounded  during  the  formative 
period  of  their  characters,  and  this  lack  must  be  sup- 
plemented by  his  own  sense  of  the  fitness  of  things 
and  by  his  discretion  in  the  selection  of  models  after 
which  to  fashion  his  own  character.  In  determining 
whom  to  admire,  whom  to  select  as  a  model,  he  must 
search  military  biography  for  a  standard  and  then 
study  his  associates  to  see  which  of  their  qualities  he 
must  acquire  in  order  to  reach  the  desired  standard. 

The  experience  of  the  militia  officer  is  akin  to  that 
of  the  regular  officer  of  the  last  two  classes.  In  gen- 
eral, he  serves  his  apprenticeship  in  the  ranks  and 
thus  has  the  opportunity  of  observing  his  officers 


Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline  23 

from  the  viewpoint  of  the  enlisted  man  and  under 
conditions  which  make  their  example  more  impres- 
sive to  him.  At  the  same  time,  the  restraints  of  dis- 
cipline are  less  binding  and  social  conditions  permit 
him  to  come  in  contact  with  his  officers  when  not  in 
military  employment.  He  thus  enjoys  a  double 
viewpoint  from  which  to  observe  and  to  select  that 
which  he  deems  desirable  in  his  character  as  an 
officer. 

Practically,  the  cultivation  of  military  character 
must  begin  with  an  intelligent  conception  of  its 
meaning,  its  necessity  and  its  value,  and  be  followed 
by  an  adaptation  of  its  requirements  to  the  circum- 
stances of  one's  daily  life.  It  involves  the  cultiva- 
tion of  the  military  habit  of  thought  and  action,  the 
subjection  of  self  to  the  restraints  of  an  orderly, 
systematic  life,  and  to  a  direct  and  unselfish  hon- 
esty ;  it  involves  the  punctilious  practice  of  military 
courtesy  in  official  circles  and  of  dignified  deport- 
ment in  unofficial  circles ;  it  involves  looking  at  life 
from  a  simple,  straightforward,  military  viewpoint. 

A  Motto.  A  formula  is  always  of  assistance  in 
the  solution  of  any  problem.  In  the  problem  of  ac- 
quiring and  cultivating  the  military  character,  this 
formula  takes  the  form  of  a  motto  or  device  upon 
whose  skeleton  we  may  hang  the  various  qualities 
we  have  selected  as  being  desirable. 

It  is  at  once  a  reminder  of  the  goal  toward  which 
we  struggle  and  a  signpost  to  point  the  way  toward 
that  goal.  It  is  the  slogan  by  which  we  proclaim  to 
the  world  the  character  and  the  purpose  of  our 
effort. 


24  Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline 

In  the  search  for  such  a  motto,  I  find  none  bet- 
ter suited  to  the  code  of  any  man  than  that  borne 
upon  the  Arms  of  the  United  States  Military  Acad- 
emy. It  is, 

DUTY,  HONOR,  COUNTRY. 

Duty  toward  self,  fellowman  and  country. 

Honor  as  an  individual  and  as  a  citizen  of  the 
state. 

Loyalty  and  devotion  to  the  country,  in  every 
sense  that  the  words  may  imply. 


Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline  25 

CHAPTER  II. 
MILITARY  HABIT  AND  DEPORTMENT. 

Definition.  Habit  is  defined  as  being  the  ordi- 
nary course  of  conduct  of  the  individual,  a  kind  of 
second  nature,  an  involuntary  tendency  to  do  certain 
things  which  is  acquired  by  their  frequent  repeti- 
tion. 

Habit  is  the  natural  product  of  the  character  and 
life  of  the  individual  and,  to  a  certain  extent  dis- 
tinguishes him  as  belonging  to  a  certain  class  or  pro- 
fession. The  habit  of  the  clergyman,  or  the  school 
teacher  is  distinctive  of  the  man's  daily  life,  and  we 
speak  of  them  as  being  of  clerical  or  of  scholarly 
habit. 

Military  habit  is  nothing  more  than  the  ordinary 
course  of  conduct  of  the  soldier,  a  kind  of  second 
nature  which  causes  him  to  involuntarily  do  certain 
things  after  a  military  fashion.  For  example:  the 
salute  between  military  men  is  a  courtesy  which  be- 
comes through  its  frequent  exchange  an  involun- 
tary habit  in  which  the  soldier  indulges  without 
thought  or  consciousness  of  so  doing.  In  other 
words,  the  military  habit  is  the  product  and  outward 
evidence  of  the  military  character  and  life;  as  a 
man  begins  to  take  on  military  character  and  to  live 
a  military  life,  he  unconsciously  begins  to  conduct 
himself  after  a  fashion  in  accordance  with  that  char- 
acter and  life  and  we  refer  to  that  fashion  of  con- 
duct as  the  military  habit. 


26  Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline 

How  Evidenced.  The  question  of  what  consti- 
tutes the  military  habit  is  best  answered  by  enumer- 
ating some  of  the  more  prominent  ways  in  which 
it  is  generally  manifested. 

Bearing.  To  outward  appearance,  the  most 
prominent  and  distinguishing  mark  of  the  soldier  is 
in  his  bearing  and  carriage.  The  upright  bearing, 
the  confident,  elastic  stride,  the  uplifted  chin,  the 
steady,  unfaltering  eye  have  come  to  be  recognized 
the  world  over  as  indicating  the  man  of  military 
training  and  habit.  This  bearing  and  carriage  is 
primarily  a  measure  of  physical  development  and 
training,  designed  to  prepare  the  soldier  for  the 
work  of  his  profession  by  giving  him  perfect  and 
easy  control  of  the  members  and  muscles  of  his 
body;  its  constant  practice  when  on  military  duty 
in  time  develops  it  into  a  habit  from  which  the 
trained  soldier  is  rarely  ever  able  to  divorce  him- 
self. 

Incidentally,  it  may  be  remarked  that  the  mili- 
tary bearing  and  carriage  is  a  perfect  one  from 
the  physical  standpoint  and  is  well  worth  being 
cultivated  by  any  man,  be  he  soldier  or  civilian. 

Personal  Appearance.  Pride  in  one's  personal 
appearance  is  a  pardonable  fault;  indeed,  it  is  a 
duty  which  every  man  owes  to  himself  to  present 
a  neat  appearance,  for  people  instinctively  form 
much  of  their  estimate  of  a  man's  character  from  his 
personal  appearance.  They  judge,  and  rightly,  that 
the  man  who  is  careless  or  indifferent  to  outward 
appearance  is  apt  to  be  careless  and  indifferent  in 
his  other  habits  of  life. 


Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline  27 

Someone  has  said  that  a  man  is  as  much  of  a  sol- 
dier as  his  uniform  makes  him,  meaning  that  the 
more  attractive  the  uniform,  the  more  pride  the  man 
will  take  in  wearing  it.  On  the  other  hand,  it  may 
be  said  that  the  more  of  a  soldier  a  man  is,  the  more 
pride  he  will  take  in  his  uniform  and  the  more  care 
he  will  devote  to  keeping  it  neat  and  smart.  Aside 
from  the  favorable  impression  which  smart  out- 
ward appearance  produces,  it  may  be  taken  as  an 
indication  of  one's  general  disposition  toward  clean- 
liness and  neatness,  and  personal  cleanliness  should 
be  one  of  the  cardinal  virtues  of  the  soldier. 

Tlie  Manual  for  Privates  of  Infantry  of  the  Or- 
ganized Militia  includes  the  following  rules  which 
are  worth  bearing  always  in  mind: 

Wear  the  exact  uniform  prescribed  by  your  com- 
manding officer,  whether  you  are  on  duty  or  off 
duty. 

Never  wear  a  mixed  uniform,  as,  for  intance,  a 
part  of  the  olive  drab  with  either  the  khaki  or  the 
blue  uniform. 

Never  wear  any  part  of  the  uniform  with  civil- 
ian clothes. 

Keep  the  uniform  clean  and  neat  and  in  good  re- 
pair. 

Grease  spots  and  dust  and  dirt  should  be  re- 
moved as  soon  as  possible. 

Rips  and  tears  should  be  promptly  mended. 

Missing  buttons  and  collar  and  cap  ornaments 
should  be  promptly  replaced. 

There  is  but  one  correct  and  soldierly  way  to 


28  Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline 

wear  the  cap.  Never  wear  it  on  the  back  or  the 
side  of  the  head. 

The  campaign  hat  should  be  worn  in  the  regula- 
tion shape.  Do  not  cover  it  with  pen  or  pencil 
marks. 

Never  appear  outside  of  your  room  or  tent  with 
your  blouse  unbuttoned  or  collar  unhooked. 

When  blouses  are  not  worn,  suspenders  should 
never  be  exposed  to  view. 

Never  appear  in  breeches  without  leggings. 

Leather  leggings  should  be  kept  polished.  Can- 
vas leggings  should  be  scrubbed  when  dirty. 

Black  shoes  should  be  kept  shined.  Russet  leath- 
er shoes  should  be  kept  polished. 

The  overcoat  when  worn  should  be  buttoned 
throughout  and  the  collar  hooked. 

To  these  might  well  be  added  the  following : 

Keep  the  hair  close  cropped  and  neatly  brushed. 
Shave  as  often  as  necessary  to  keep  a  clean  face. 

In  the  field,  keep  the  shirt  collar  buttoned  to  the 
throat.  Do  not  unbutton  and  roll  up  the  sleeves. 

Avoid  getting  clothing  unnecessarily  soiled  in 
the  field.  Endeavor  to  keep  as  neat  and  smart  as  is 
possible. 

Do  not  wear  neckties  with  the  olive  drab  shirt  in 
the  field,  or  tie  a  handkerchief  around  the  neck,  un- 
less it  be  an  authorized  neckerchief  issued  by  the 
proper  authorities. 

Do  not  wear  a  watch  chain  or  fob  conspicuously 
displayed.  Do  not  wear  pins  or  badges  of  any  sort 
except  those  issued  for  use. 

Military  Courtesy.    The  visible  habit  which,  next 


Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline  29 

to  bearing,  most  distinguishes  the  trained  soldier  is 
his  practice  of  the  forms  of  military  courtesy.  Mili- 
tary courtesy  is  nothing  more  than  the  code  of  pre- 
scribed and  adopted  rites  of  the  profession  of  arms ; 
the  forms  of  military  courtesy  correspond  to  those 
which  govern  polite  intercourse  in  civil  life,  and 
strict  observance  of  these  forms  is  an  unfailing  indi- 
cation of  military  training  and  discipline  just  as 
adherence  to  the  conventions  of  society  is  an  indi- 
cation of  good  breeding  and  form. 

It  must  be  remarked,  however,  that  mere  obser- 
vance of  the  prescribed  forms  of  military  courtesy 
indicates  but  little.  The  manner  in  which  they  are 
observed  is  the  distinguishing  mark  of  the  true  sol- 
dier. Pompousness  or  servility  indicates  a  failure 
to  grasp  the  spirit  of  military  courtesy ;  carelessness 
or  indifference  indicates  a  lack  of  training  and  dis- 
cipline; ease  and  dignity  indicate  proper  training 
and  a  proper  conception  of  courtesy  and  discipline. 

Discipline.  A  proper  observance  of  the  res- 
traints of  discipline  is  inseparable  from  the  mili- 
tary habit,  and,  again,  it  is  the  manner  in  which  the 
requirements  of  discipline  are  observed  that  distin- 
guishes the  trained  soldier.  Outward  compliance 
with  the  requirements  of  discipline,  coupled  with  in- 
ward rebellion  against  them,  indicates  but  little 
more  than  a  state  of  cowlardly  subjection;  it  is  but 
little  better  than  the  attitude  of  the  would-be  crim- 
inal who  refrains  from  breaking  the  law  only  for 
fear  of  the  consequences  of  so  doing.  Careless  and 
indifferent  compliance  indicates  a  lack  of  apprecia- 
tion of  the  real  purpose  and  value  of  discipline. 


SO  Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline 

There  is  nothing  unmanly  or  undignified  in  ad- 
hering strictly  to  the  requirements  of  discipline. 
In  so  doing,  the  soldier  is  merely  contributing  his 
support  to  the  fundamental  principle  upon  which 
his  profession  is  based;  he  is  demonstrating  the 
measure  of  his  respect  for  the  dignity  of  his  pro- 
fession and  is  proclaiming  that  he  has  grasped  the 
genuine  spirit  of  the  man  at  arms. 

Order  and  System.  The  nature  of  military  em- 
ployment demands  that  every  detail  of  its  business 
be  conducted  without  confusion  or  irregularity. 
In  order  that  this  may  be  so  it  is  necessary  that  its 
administration  be  at  all  times  orderly  and  system- 
atic. Without  order  and  system,  there  must  in- 
evitably result  confusion  and  uncertainty,  and  with 
such  conditions,  control  and  discipline  are  impos- 
sible. Naturally  an  orderly  and  systematic  ad- 
ministration cannot  be  expected  of  a  man  who  has 
not  trained  himself  to  orderly  and  systematic  hab- 
its of  conduct  and  w^ork,  and  these  habits  should 
apply  to  both  the  official  and  the  unofficial  life  of 
the  soldier,  for  the  man  whose  private  life  is  not  reg- 
ulated by  some  intelligent  system  will  have  diffi- 
culty in  adjusting  himself  to  an  orderly  and  system- 
atic routine  in  official  life. 

Devotion  to  Duty.  The  proper  and  faithful 
performance  of  duty  is  the  standard  by  which  the 
value  and  efficiency  of  the  soldier  is  measured,  and 
the  measure  of  his  efficiency  and  value  is  not  deter- 
mined by  the  prominence  of  the  duty  which  he  per- 
forms. The  sum  of  military  employment  is  made 
up  of  a  multitude  of  details,  many  of  which  may 


Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline  31 

appear  insignificant,  but  all  of  which  are  of  equal 
importance.  Hohenlohe,  in  his  letters  on  Infan- 
try, says  of  the  importance  of  the  minor  details, 
"You  may  perhaps  laugh  at  such  details.  But  the 
grandest  and  most  beautiful  building  is  composed 
of  comparatively  small  and  unimposing  stones  and 
falls  altogether  to  the  ground,  if  these  little  stones 
are  not  worked  and  joined  with  the  proper  care." 

The  private  soldier  who  gives  his  best  and  most 
intelligent  effort  to  the  police  of  the  grounds 
about  the  company  kitchen  is  demonstrating  his  ef- 
ficiency and  value  just  as  fully  as  the  general  who 
plans  a  successful  campaign. 

The  Habit  of  Loyalty.  The  Manual  of  Privates 
of  Infantry  of  the  Organized  Militia  sums  up  the 
subject  of  loyalty  in  the  following  words: 

"But  even  with  implicit  obedience  you  may  yet 
fail  to  measure  up  to  that  high  standard  of  duty 
which  is  at  once  the  pride  and  glory  of  every  true 
soldier.  Not  until  you  carry  out  the  desires  and 
wishes  of  your  superiors  in  a  hearty,  willing  and 
cheerful  manner  are  you  meeting  all  the  require- 
ments of  your  profession.  For  an  order  is  but  the 
will  of  your  superior,  however  it  may  be  expressed. 
Loyalty  means  that  you  are  for  your  organization 
and  its  officers  and  non-commissioned  officers — not 
against  them;  that  you  always  extend  your  earnest 
and  most  hearty  support  to  those  in  authority.  No 
soldier  is  a  loyal  soldier  who  is  a  knocker,  or  a  grum- 
bler or  a  shirker.  Just  one  m'an  of  this  class  in 
a  company  breeds  discontent  and  dissatisfaction 
among  the  others.  You  should,  therefore,  not  only 


32  Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline 

guard  against  doing  such  things  yourself,  but  you 
should  discourage  such  actions  among  any  of  your 
comrades." 

The  Habit  of  Being  Patriotic.  Above  all  things, 
the  soldier  should  be  a  model  of  loyalty  and  devo- 
tion to  his  country.  He  is  a  guardian  not  only  of 
its  safety  but  of  its  honor  and  dignity.  His  atti- 
tude and  conduct  should  be  such  as  to  furnish  ex- 
ample to  all  others. 

His  motives  should  be  beyond  question.  His  con- 
duct should  be  such  as  to  indicate  the  true  state  of 
his  feelings,  and  his  devotion  to  his  country  should 
be  made  known  by  his  attitude  of  respect  toward  its 
visible  symbols. 

The  national  flag  is  the  symbol  of  the  power  and 
dignity  of  the  country  and  as  such  should  be  the  sub- 
ject of  the  most  profound  respect  on  the  part  of 
every  citizen. 

The  Army  Regulations  require  that  all  bodies  of 
soldiers,  all  officers  and  enlisted  men  salute  the  nat- 
ional and  regimental  flags  in  a  proper  and  respect- 
ful manner  and  remembering  that  it  is  the  symbol 
for  which  he  has  pledged  himself  to  fight,  it  should 
be  the  pride  of  every  soldier  to  pay  this  respect  in 
a  manner  that  will  serve  as  an  example  to  all  others. 

The  duly  elected  officers  of  the  Government  are 
the  representatives  of  the  dignity  and  power  of  the 
country.  Respect  paid  to  them  is  respect  paid  to 
the  country.  To  make  light  of  them  or  to  lower 
them  in  the  respect  of  others  is  to  lower  the  dignity 
of  the  country. 

As  the  representatives  of  the  people,  they  cannot 


Military  Character,  Habit)  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline  33 

reasonably  expect  to  be  removed  from  proper  criti- 
cism when  their  conduct  or  their  acts  lay  them,  open 
to  such  criticism,  but  the  criticism  should  be  temper- 
ate and  respectful.  Intemperate  accusations,  vul- 
gar criticism,  cartooning  and  lampooning  of  public 
officials  reflects  more  upon  the  country  than  it  does 
on  them. 

Such  apparently  was  the  opinion  of  those  who 
framed  the  laws  of  this  country  in  the  days  when  the 
memories  of  their  sacrifices  for  the  country  were 
still  fresh  in  their  minds.  The  19th  Article  of  War 
prescribes  that:  "Any  officer  who  uses  contempt- 
uous or  disrespectful  words  against  the  President, 
the  Vice-president,  the  Congress  of  the  United 
States,  or  chief  magistrate  or  the  legislature  of  any 
of  the  United  States  in  which  he  is  quartered,  shall 
be  dismissed  from  the  service,  or  otherwise  punished 
as  a  court-martial  may  direct.  Any  soldier  who  so 
offends  shall  be  punished  as  a  court-martial  may 
direct." 

Nor  is  outward  respect  for  the  symbols  of  the 
country,  its  representatives  and  its  institutions  suf- 
ficient to  indicate  true  loyalty  to  the  country.  True 
loyalty  seeks  to  uphold  and  protect  the  reputation 
of  the  country.  The  oath  which  the  Boy  Scouts  of 
France  take  might  well  serve  as  a  model  for  the 
citizen  of  any  and  all  countries.  These  boys  pledge 
themselves,  "Never  to  speak  ill  of  their  country  be- 
fore strangers.  To  discuss  discreetly  what  is  bad 
in  public  life;  to  be  silent  about  what  is  middling, 
and  to  extol  what  is  good." 


34<  Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline 


CHAPTER  III. 
MILITARY  COURTESY. 

Definition.  Military  courtesy  may  be  briefly  de- 
fined as  being  the  attitude  of  civility  and  respect 
which  military  men  at  all  tinges  maintain  toward 
each  other.  Its  true  nature  is  best  understood 
through  a  knowledge  of  the  manner  in  which  it  is 
practiced  among  military  men. 

In  order  to  understand  the  various  forms  by 
which  it  is  expressed,  it  should  be  understood  that 
military  courtesy  is  based  on  the  principle  of  equal- 
ity among  military  men.  In  point  of  merit,  and 
honor,  one  soldier  is  the  equal  of  any  other  soldier, 
whatever  may  be  their  respective  rank  or  grade. 
Each  gives  his  service  to  his  country ;  each  offers  the 
same  sacrifice — his  life — as  an  earnest  of  his  sin- 
cerity, they  differ  from  each  other  only  in  the  mat- 
ter of  rank  and  grade  and  consequent  duties  and 
responsibilities,  and  these  are  conditions  which  are 
regulated  by  circumstances  and  expediency. 

In  one  of  the  Articles  of  Faith  of  the  Japanese 
soldier,  the  principle  is  stated  in  the  following 
words:  "All  soldiers  must  remember  that  they  are 
associated  in  a  great  and  honorable  service,  and  that 
to  serve  worthily  in  the  station  in  which  each  is 
placed  is  an  honor  in  which  the  private  participates 
as  fully  as  the  general." 

The  Spirit  of  Military  Courtesy.  The  practice 
of  military  courtesy  is  greatly  simplified  by  a 


Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline  35 

correct  grasp  of  the  spirit  in  which  it  should  be 
practiced,  and,  in  turn,  an  understanding  of  the 
spirit  of  military  courtesy  is  facilitated  by  bearing 
in  mind  that  it  is  the  attitude  maintained  among 
men  who  are,  each  according  to  his  station,  of  equal 
importance  in  a  great  calling. 

With  this  in  mind,  it  is  obvious  that  ease  and  dig- 
nity should  characterize  the  exchange  of  all  mili- 
tary courtesies,  and  that  exaggerated  forms,  such 
as  prompousness  or  servility,  are  objectionable  and 
entirely  out  of  place  among  soldiers  of  the  proper 
type. 

Pompousness  is  often  mistaken  by  the  uninitiated 
as  an  index  of  a  high  standard  of  military  form, 
whereas,  it  is  in  truth  only  a  cheap  imitation,  a  cloak 
behind  which  to  hide  ignorance  of  true  courtesy. 
Associated  with  pompousness  are  brusqueness  and 
rudeness,  both  of  which  serve  to  indicate  that  the 
soldier  who  is  guilty  of  either  adopts  this  manner 
because  he  realizes  his  own  deficiences  and  seeks 
in  this  way  to  cover  them  from  those  under  him. 

There  may  have  been  a  time  when  rough  treat- 
ment of  subordinates  was  necessary  to  the  preser- 
ervation  of  discipline,  but  that  time  is  happily  past. 
General  Von  Der  Goltz,  commenting  on  this  sub- 
ject, says,  "Official  brusqueness,  too,  is  less  justi- 
fiable now,  and  will  avail  less  than  formerly.  The 
more  friendly  the  official  relations,  the  greater  the 
prospect  of  every  thing  working  smoothly." 

Origin.  Military  courtesy  is  as  old  as  the  profes- 
sion of  arms.  In  the  beginning,  the  rank  and  file 
of  fighting  men  were  generally  of  one  of  two  classes, 


36  Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline 

namely,  those  who  owed  allegiance  to  soirfe  hered- 
itary leader  or  chieftain,  or  those  who  voluntarily 
assumed  such  allegiance  in  return  for  a  price,  gen- 
erally the  patronage  and  protection  of  the  leader. 
It  was  no  more  than  natural  that  such  men  should 
pay  a  certain  respect  and  deference  to  their  leaders. 
Moreover,  these  leaders  were  very  generally  men 
whose  rank  and  personal  prowess  was  such  as  to  win 
and  hold  the  admiration  and  respect  of  their  fol- 
lowers. These  hereditary  leaders  were  followed  by 
another  class  whose  members  rose  to  leadership  by 
virtue  of  their  ability,  and  respect  flowed  to  them 
as  the  natural  result  of  their  success.  Certain  forms 
grew  out  of  the  relations  of  these  leaders  and  their 
fighting  men  and  these  forms,  modified  to  meet  the 
requirements  of  modern  conditions,  have  been  hand- 
ed down  to  us  to  form  the  basis  of  the  military  court- 
esy of  the  present  day. 

With  each  advance  in  civilization,  the  conditions 
of  military  service  have  changed.  Organization 
has  been  introduced  and,  in  turn,  has  introduced 
graded  rank  and  responsibility.  In  the  United 
States  Army  and  in  the  Organized  Militia,  men 
serve  voluntarily;  they  serve  the  country;  the  lead- 
er is  merely  the  representative  of  that  country.  The 
deference  formerly  paid  to  the  leader  as  an  individ- 
ual is  now  paid  to  the  individual  by  virtue  of  the 
rank  he  holds  in  the  organization,  in  other  words, 
to  the  position,  not  to  the  man. 

Importance.  Courtesy  in  any  man  is  generally 
taken  as  an  indication  of  his  breeding.  Its  posses- 
sion indicates  good  breeding;  its  absence,  a  lack  of 


Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline  37 

breeding  or  the  possession  of  an  undesirable  dispo- 
sition. It  is  an  essential  element  in  all  intercourse 
between  polite  people.  On  account  of  its  intimate 
association  with  discipline,  it  is  of  especial  impor- 
tance in  the  military  service. 

Armies  are  composed  of  groups  of  various  siz- 
es, and  the  members  of  each  group  are  closely  as- 
sociated with  each  other  in  every  detail  of  official 
and  private  life.  Every  phase  of  their  employment 
is  in  the  nature  of  teamwork  which  requires  united 
and  harmonious  action  on  the  part  of  all.  Added 
to  this  there  must  be  a  spirit  of  mutual  confidence 
and  helpfulness  among  the  members  of  each  group 
and  among  the  groups  themselves.  This  close  and 
intimate  relation  is  capable  of  being  the  source  of  as 
much  difference  of  opinion  and  irritation  as  is  to 
be  encountered  in  the  association  of  men  for  any 
other  purpose.  In  the  nature  of  things,  disagree- 
ments are  inevitable  and,  to  meet  the  necessities  of 
discipline,  some  one  must  submit  to  some  other. 
The  one  who  shoulders  the  greater  responsibility, 
hence  is  clothed  with  the  higher  rank,  is  entitled  by 
virtue  of  this  greater  responsibility,  to  exercise  the 
balance  of  opinion  and,  if  necessary,  to  enforce  it 
with  the  power  with  which  he  is  endowed.  By  the 
exercise  of  proper  military  courtesy,  the  submission 
of  the  one  to  the  other  may  be  accomplished  with- 
out harshness  on  the  part  of  the  one  or  humiliation 
on  the  part  of  the  other.  Military  courtesy  is  thus 
not  only  the  pleasant  manner  of  ordinary  associa- 
tion, but  is  also  the  official  balm  with  which  the  sting 
of  discipline  is  removed. 


38  Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline 

Source.  Generally  speaking,  the  forms  of  mili- 
tary courtesy  are  derived  from  one  of  two  sources, 
namely,  the  Regulations  and  the  Customs  of  the 
Service. 

By  Regulations  is  meant,  all  the  the  published 
rules  and  orders  for  the  government  of  the  military 
forces.  These  are  included  in  the  Army  Regula- 
tions, the  drill  regulations  of  the  various  arms  of 
the  service,  and  other  manuals  and  orders  publish- 
ed by  authority  of  the  War  Department.  As  a 
rule,  the  forms  of  military  courtesy  appropriate  to 
official  occasions  and  intercourse  are  prescribed  in 
one  or  the  other  of  the  official  publications. 

By  Customs  of  the  Service  is  meant  that  code  of 
unwritten  rules  and  regulations  which  has  grown  up 
in  the  service  and  which,  having  been  recognized  as 
being  proper  and  appropriate,  has  been  given  offi- 
cial sanction.  It  is  the  general  source  of  those 
forms  of  military  courtesy  applicable  to  social  and 
private  intercourse  in  the  military  service,  although 
not  limited  to  unofficial  occasions. 

Regulations.  The  subject  of  military  courtesy 
is  covered  in  the  Army  Regulations  by  two  general 
paragraphs  in  which  it  is  stated  that: 

"Courtesy  among  military  men  is  indispensable 
to  discipline;  respect  to  superiors  will  not  be  con- 
fined to  obedience  on  duty,  but  will  be  extended  on 
all  occasions." 

"In  official  correspondence  between  officers,  or  be- 
tween officers  and  officials  of  the  other  branches  of 
the  public  service,  and  especially  in  matters  involv- 
ing questions  of  jurisdiction,  conflict  of  authority  or 


Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline  39 

disputes,  Officers  of  the  Army  are  reminded  that 
their  correspondence  should  be  courteous  in  tone 
and  free  from  any  expression  partaking  of  a  per- 
sonal nature  or  calculated  to  give  offense." 

In  elaboration  of  these  two  paragraphs,  the 
Army  Regulations  prescribes  certain  formts  by 
means  of  which  honors  and  courtesies  are  paid  and 
exchanged,  and  the  occasions  upon  which  they  are 
to  be  paid  or  exchanged.  The  drill  regulations  of 
the  various  arms  prescribe  in  detail  the  manner  in 
which  they  are  paid  or  exchanged. 

Before  considering  these  details  however  some  ex- 
planation of  the  nature  of  the  forms  themselves  is 
of  value  in  understanding  the  spirit  in  which  they 
are  to  be  paid  and  exchanged. 

The  Position  of  Attention.  In  all  of  the  regula- 
tions governing  the  exchange  of  courtesies,  it  will 
be  observed  that  the  officer  or  soldier,  when  not  in 
motion,  always  assumes  the  position  of  the  soldier, 
or  attention,  when  in  the  presence  of  a  senior  or 
when  about  to  salute.  It  is  only  proper  that  the 
presence  of  a  senior  should  be  recognized  by  some 
mark  of  respect.  The  act  of  rising  is  the  custom- 
ary manner  in  which  any  man  greets  the  appearance 
of  any  one  to  whom  he  desires  to  show  respect.  The 
position  of  attention  is  the  proper  one  for  the  sol- 
dier when  standing,  and  for  that  reason  is  the  posi- 
tion prescribed  for  him  when  he  is  exchanging 
courtesies.  It  may  be  remarked  also  that  the 
standing  position  is  one  of  privilege.  It  was  for- 
merly a  very  general  custom  to  acknowledge  the 
presence  of  a  superior  or  of  royalty  by  kneeling, 


40  Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline 

only  those  who  were  of  high  rank  or  otherwise  priv- 
iliged  being  permitted  to  stand. 

The  Removal  of  the  Hat.  It  will  also  be  ob- 
served that  when  indoors  and  unarmed,  the  officer  or 
soldier  removes  the  hat  when  in  the  presence  of  a 
senior.  The  removal  of  the  hat  is  the  survival  of  a 
custom  which  began  in  the  days  of  chivalry.  The 
helmet  worn  by  armoured  knights  was  a  clumsy  and 
burdensome  affair  and  was  not  worn  unnecessarily. 
When  among  friends,  the  wearer  would  take  ad- 
vantage of  the  occasion  to  remove  it.  In  time,  the 
removal  of  the  helmet  was  taken  as  an  indication 
that  the  wearer  felt  himself  to  be  among  friends 
and,  consequently,  not  in  need  of  the  protection  of 
his  helmet.  Gradually  the  custom  became  so  well 
recognized  that  it  was  taken  as  an  indication  of  un- 
friendliness or  of  disrespect  if  the  helmet  was  not 
removed  in  the  presence  of  friends  or  acquaintan- 
ces. The  present  custom  of  removing  the  hat  is  the 
modern  form  of  the  same  courtesy. 

In  addition,  it  should  be  remarked  that  the  hat 
should  not  ordinarily  be  worn  when  indoors,  and  its 
removal  merely  places  the  soldier  in  proper  indoor 
costume. 

When  indoors  and  under  arms,  the  soldier  does 
not  remove  the  hat,  presumably  following  the  cus- 
tom referred  to  above,  namely,  that  the  fighting 
man  only  removed  his  head  covering  when  among 
friends  and  in  no  danger,  but  that  when  under  arms, 
he  was  presumably  prepared  for  duty  and  when 
so  prepared  should  keep  his  head  covering  on. 

The  Salute.     This  form  of  courtesy  is  one  whose 


Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline  41 

significance  is  very  generally  misunderstood.  In 
this  country  especially,  many  people  are  inclined  to 
regard  it  as  an  act  of  subservience,  unbecoming 
to  one  of  a  free  people.  The  history  of  the  salute 
is  sufficient  to  show  the  error  of  this  idea,  for,  his- 
torically, the  salute  with  the  hand  originated  as  an 
exchange  of  courtesy  among  equals.  In  the  days 
of  chivalry,  knights  on  meeting  were  in  the  habit 
of  indicating  their  intentions  by  their  actions.  If 
unfriendly,  upon  sighting  each  other,  they  prepared 
for  battle;  if  friendly,  they  raised  the  right,  or 
fighting  hand,  to  show  that  it  was  empty  of  wea- 
pons, thus  signifying  the  friendliness  or  peaceful- 
ness  of  their  intentions.  The  act  was  gradually 
adopted  as  a  salutation  among  friends  and  today  it 
is  an  invariable  custom  among  gentlemen  to  greet 
acquaintances  by  touching  the  hat. 

In  his  Noncommissioned  Officers'  Manual,  Cap- 
tain Moss  sums  up  the  significance  of  the  salute  in 
the  following  expressive  manner: 

"The  salute  on  the  part  of  the  subordinate  is  not 
intended  in  any  way  as  an  act  of  degradation  or  a 
mark  of  inferiority,  but  is  simply  a  military  court- 
esy that  is  as  binding  on  the  officer  as  it  is  on  the 
private,  and  just  as  the  enlisted  man  is  required  to 
salute  first,  so  is  the  officer  required  to  salute  his 
superiors  first.  It  is  the  bond  uniting  all  in  a  com- 
mon profession,  marking  the  fact  that  above  them 
there  is  an  authority  that  both  recognize  and  obey— 
Country .  .  The  officer  and  the  private  belong  to  a 
brotherhood  whose  regalia  is  the  uniform  of  the 
American  soldier,  and  they  are  known  to  each  other 


1*2  Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline 

and  to  all  men,  by  an  honored  sign  and  symbol  of 
knighthood  that  has  come  down  to  us  from  the 
ages — THE  MILITARY  SALUTE. 

This  view  of  the  nature  of  the  salute  is  corrobor- 
ated in  the  Army  Regulations  by  the  paragraphs 
in  which  it  is  prescribed  that: 

"Officers  will  at  all  times  acknowledge  the  court- 
esies of  enlisted  men  by  returning  salutes  given,  in 
the  manner  prescribed  in  drill  regulations.  When 
several  officers  in  company  are  saluted,  all  who  en- 
listed to  the  salute  return  it." 

The  Infantry  Drill  Regulations  further  em- 
phasizes it  by  prescribing  that: 

"Officers  will  acknowledge  salutes  smartly  and 
promptly." 

It  is  thus  apparent  that  the  salute  is  officially  re- 
garded as  a  courtesy  equally  obligatory  upon  all  sol- 
diers, whatever  may  be  their  grade. 

General  Requirements  in  Saluting.  The  Infan- 
try Drill  Regulations  defines  saluting  distance  as 
being  the  distance  within  which  recognition  is  easy; 
in  general,  about  thirty  paces.  It  then  adds: 

"In  approaching  or  passing  each  other,  within 
saluting  distance,  individuals  salute  when  at  about 
six  paces.  If  they  do  not  approach  each  other  that 
closely,  the  salute  is  exchanged  at  the  point  of  near- 
est approach." 

These  provisions  are  intended  merely  as  a  guide 
for  the  uninitiated  and  as  a  check  on  the  conduct  of 
those  who,  through  lack  of  proper  discipline,  or 
through  carelessness  or  indifference,  may  be  inclined 
to  avoid  proper  observance  of  military  courtesy. 


Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline  43 

The  question  of  whether  or  not  to  salute  should  nev- 
er enter  the  mind  of  the  soldier  who  has  grasped 
ed  the  proper  spirit  of  military  courtesy.  What- 
ever may  be  the  distance  separating  him  from  the 
senior,  whatever  the  conditions  under  which  they 
may  meet — whether  in  or  out  of  doors,  in  the  gar- 
rison, or  mingling  with  civilians  in  public  places — 
if  the  circumstances  be  those  under  which  he  would 
greet  a  friend  or  acquaintance,  the  trained  soldier 
will  salute  his  senior. 

The  Army  Regulations  provide  that : 
"All  officers  salute  on  meeting  and  in  making  and 
receiving  official  reports.  Military  courtesy  re- 
quires the  junior  to  salute  first. .  .  Officers  will  at  all 
times  acknowledge  the  courtesies  of  enlisted  men 
by  returning  salutes  given,  in  the  the  manner  pre- 
scribed in  drill  regulations.  When  several  officers  in 
company  are  saluted,  all  who  are  entitled  to  the  sa- 
lute return  it." 

The  Infantry  Drill  Regulations  prescribe  that: 
"Enlisted  men  within  saluting  distance  and  not 
in  ranks  salute  all  officers." 

These  two  paragraphs  cover  the  whole  subject  of 
the  exchange  of  salutes  by  individuals.  The  other 
provisions  of  the  Army  Regulations  and  of  the  Drill 
Regulations  are  merely  explanatory  of  the  way  in 
which  the  salute  is  rendered  and  of  the  occasions  on 
which  it  is  exchanged. 

How  Rendered.  The  salute  by  the  individual  is 
rendered  with  the  hand,  the  saber,  or  the  rifle,  ac- 
cording to  circumstances.  Under  certain  condi- 
tions it  is  rendered  by  standing  at  attention  only. 


i  1  Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline 

If  without  arms,  or  with  the  saber  not  drawn,  the 
salute  is  rendered  with  the  hand. 

If  the  saber  be  drawn,  the  prescribed  saber  sa- 
lute is  rendered. 

If  armed  with  the  rifle,  the  proper  rifle  salute  is 
rendered.  When  indoors  and  unarmed,  the  salute  is 
rendered  by  standing  at  attention  uncovered,  fac- 
ing the  one  to  be  saluted. 

The  Salute  with  the  Hand.  The  Infantry  Drill 
Regulations  prescribes  the  salute  with  the  hand  as 
follows : 

"Raise  the  right  hand  smartly  till  the  tip  of  the 
forefinger  touches  the  lower  part  of  the  headdress 
above  the  right  eye,  thumb  and  fingers  extended  and 
joined,  palm  to  the  left,  forearm  inclined  at  about 
forty-five  degrees,  hand  and  wrist  straight.  If  un- 
covered, stand  at  attention,  without  saluting." 

To  complete  the  salute:  "Drop  the  arm  smartly 
by  the  side." 

The  hand  should  be  held  in  the  position  of  the 
salute  until  the  salute  has  been  recognized  and  re- 
turned or  until  the  one  saluted  has  passed  or  has 
been  passed. 

When  saluting,  both  officers  and  enlisted  men 
look  toward  the  person  saluted. 

If  in  motion,  the  salute  is  properly  begun  when 
at  about  six  paces  from  the  one  to  be  saluted. 

If  not  in  motion,  the  salute  is  rendered  standing 
in  the  position  of  attention,  facing  the  one  to  be  sa- 
luted ;  it  is  begun  when  the  one  to  be  saluted  has  ap- 
proached within  about  six  paces,  or,  if  he  does  not 


Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline  45 

approach  that  closely,  at  the  point  of  nearest  ap- 
proach. 

Two  errors  are  common  in  rendering  the  salute 
with  the  hand,  namely,  that  of  lowering  the  head  to 
meet  the  forefinger,  and  that  of  jerking  the  hand 
down  to  the  side  to  complete  the  salute.  The  head 
should  be  held  erect,  the  chin  if  anything  a  little  up- 
lifted, and  in  completing  the  salute,  the  hand  is 
dropped  quickly,  but  not  jerkily,  to  the  side. 

In  connection  with  the  salute  with  the  hand,  the 
Army  Regulations  further  prescribes : 

"On  all  occasions  outdoors,  and  also  in  public 
places,  such  as  stores,  theaters,  railway  and  steam- 
boat stations,  and  the  like,  the  salute  to  any  person 
whatever  by  officers  and  enlisted  men  in  uniform, 
with  no  arms  in  the  hand,  whether  on  or  off  duty, 
shall  be  the  hand  salute,  the  right  hand  being  used, 
the  headdress  not  to  be  removed." 

The  Saber  Salute.  The  salute  with  the  saber  is 
prescribed  as  follows: 

"The  saber  is  raised  and  carried  to  the  front,  base 
of  the  hilt  as  high  as  the  chin  and  six  inches  in  front 
of  the  neck,  edge  to  the  left,  point  six  inches  far- 
ther to  the  front  than  the  hilt,  thumb  extended  on 
the  left  of  the  grip,  all  fingers  grasping  the  grip." 

To  complete  the  salute:  "Lower  the  saber,  point 
in  prolongation  of  the  right  foot  and  near  the 
ground,  edge  to  the  left,  hand  by  the  side,  thumb 
on  the  left  of  the  grip,  arm  extended." 

"If  mounted,  the  hand  is  held  behind  the  thigh, 
point  a  little  to  the  right  and  in  front  of  the  stir- 
rup." 


46  Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline 

Enlisted  men  execute  only  the  first  motion  of  the 
saber  salute.  When  the  salute  has  been  ackno\y- 
ledged,  the  saber  is  brought  back  to  the  carry. 

The  Rifle  Salute.  The  Infantry  Drill  Regula- 
tions prescribes  the  rifle  salute  as  follows: 

"Being  at  the  right  shoulder  arms,  carry  the  left 
hand  smartly  to  the  small  of  the  stock,  forearm 
horizontal,  palm  of  hand  down,  thumb  and  forefing- 
ers extended  and  joined,  forefinger  touching  the 
end  of  cocking  piece ;  look  toward  the  person  salut- 
ed." 

To  complete  the  salute:  "Drop  the  left  hand  by 
the  side;  turn  the  head  and  eyes  to  the  front." 

"With  the  rifle  on  the  left  shoulder,  the  salute  is 
rendered  in  a  corresponding  manner  with  the  right 
hand." 

"Being  at  the  order  or  trail  arms:  carry  the  left 
hand  smartly  to  the  right  side,  palm  of  the  hand 
down,  thumb  and  fingers  extended  and  joined, 
forefinger  against  piece  near  the  muzzle;  look  to- 
ward the  person  saluted." 

To  complete  the  salute:  "Drop  the  left  hand  by 
the  side;  turn  the  head  and  eyes  to  the  front." 

If  out  of  doors  and  in  motion,  the  rifle  salute  is 
rendered  with  the  piece  on  either  shoulder.  Its  po- 
sition need  not  be  changed  in  order  to  salute  with 
the  hand  farthest  from  the  officer. 

If  out  of  doors  and  not  in  motion,  the  rifle  salute 
is  properly  rendered  from  the  position  of  attention, 
with  the  piece  at  the  order  arms. 

When  indoors,  the  piece  is  properly  carried  at  the 


Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline  47 

trail,  and  if  in  motion,  the  salute  would  be  rendered 
with  the  piece  in  that  position. 

The  Salute  Indoors.  Except  when  armed,  offi- 
cers and  enlisted  mjen  indoors  salute  by  standing  at 
attention  and  uncovering.  If  armed,  they  do  not 
uncover,  but  stand  at  attention;  they  do  not  salute 
except  when  addressed  or  when  they  address  a 
senior. 

The  Salute  on  Official  Occasions.  The  Army 
Regulations  provide  that : 

"All  officers  salute  on  making  or  receiving  of- 
ficial reports.  When  the  salute  is  introductory  to 
a  report  made  at  a  military  ceremony  or  formation, 
to  the  representative  of  a  common  superior — as  for 
example,  to  the  adjutant,  the  officer  of  the  day,  etc. 
—the  officer  making  the  report,  whatever  his  rank, 
will  salute  first;  the  officer  to  whom  the  report  is 
made  will  acknowledge,  by  saluting,  that  he  has  re- 
ceived and  understood  the  report." 

An  officer  makes  the  prescribed  salute  before  ad- 
dressing a  senior,  and  after  having  received  a  re- 
ply, an  order,  etc. 

An  enlisted  man  makes  the  prescribed  salute  be- 
fore addressing  an  officer.  He  also  makes  the  same 
salute  after  receiving  a  reply. 

Whom  to  Salute.  The  Army  Regulations  pre- 
scribe that : 

"Soldiers  at  all  times  and  in  all  situations  pay  the 
same  compliments  to  officers  of  the  Army,  Navy, 
Marine  Corps,  and  volunteers  and  officers  of  the  or- 
ganized militia  in  uniform  as  to  the  officers  of  their 
own  regiment,  corps  or  arm  of  the  service." 


48  Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline 

The  Infantry  Drill  Regulations  provide  that : 

''Officers  not  in  uniform  are  saluted  if  recog- 
nized." 

Tfo  Salute  to  the  Color.  The  Army  Regula- 
tions provide  that: 

"The  national  or  regimental  color  or  standard, 
uncased,  passing  a  guard  or  other  armed  body  will 
be  saluted,  the  field  music  sounding  "to  the  color" 
or  "to  the  standard".  Officers  or  enlisted  men  pas- 
sing the  uncased  color  will  render  the  prescribed 
salute;  with  no  arms  in  hand,  the  salute  will  be  the 
hand  salute,  using  the  right  hand,  the  headdress  not 
to  be  removed." 

The  Star  Spangled  Banner.  The  Army  Regu- 
lations prescribe  that: 

"Whenever  The  Star  Spangled  Banner  is  played 
at  a  military  station,  or  at  any  place  where  persons 
belonging  to  the  military  service  are  present  in  their 
official  capacity  or  present  unofficially  but  in  uni- 
form, all  officers  and  enlisted  men  present  will  stand 
at  attention,  facing  toward  the  music,  retaining  that 
position  until  the  last  note  of  the  air,  and  then  sa- 
lute. With  no  arms  in  the  hand,  the  salute  will  be 
the  hand  salute.  The  same  respect  will  be  payed 
to  the  national  air  of  any  other  country  when  it  is 
played  as  a  compliment  to  official  representatives  of 
such  country." 

"The  flag  will  be  lowered  at  the  sounding  of  the 
last  note  of  the  retreat,  and  while  the  flag  is  being 
lowered,  the  band  will  play  the  Star  Spangled  Ban- 
ner,  or  if  there  be  no  band  present,  the  field  music 
will  sound  "to  the  color".  When  "to  the  color"  is 


Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline  49 

sounded  by  the  field  music  while  the  flag  is  being 
lowered  the  same  respect  will  be  observed  as  when 
the  Star  Spangled  Banner  is  being  played  by  the 
band,  and  in  either  case  officers  and  enlisted  men  out 
of  ranks  will  face  toward  the  flag,  stand  at  atten- 
tion, and  render  the  prescribed  salute  at  the  last  note 
of  the  music." 

Salutes  by  Armed  Bodies.  The  salutes  rendered 
by  armed  bodies  of  troops  are  properly  classified 
under  the  head  of  Honors,  but  since  they  involve 
the  matter  of  saluting,  they  are  here  briefly  consid- 
ered. 

Armed  bodies  salute  by  executing  Eyes  Right 
(Left),  the  Present  Arms,  and  by  being  called  to 
attention  while  the  commander  salutes  in  person. 

The  Eyes  Right  (left)  is  executed  by  troops  on- 
ly when  they  are  passing  in  review  at  reviews,  par- 
ades and  at  guard  mounting. 

The  Present  Arms  is  executed  by  troops  only  at 
ceremonies,  such  as  reviews,  parades,  guard  mount- 
ing, escorts  of  the  color,  of  honor,  funeral  escorts, 
etc. 

A  body  of  troops  is  brought  to  attention  as  a  sa- 
lute to  another  body  of  troops,  a  general  officer,  the 
regimental,  battalion  or  company  commanders  only. 
On  such  occasions,  the  commander  of  the  troops 
salutes  in  person. 

An  enlisted  man  commanding  a  body  of  troops 
less  than  a  company,  calls  it  to  attention  before  sa- 
luting any  officer. 

The  commander  of  a  body  of  troops  salutes  in 
person  all  officers  senior  to  him,  and  returns  the 


50  Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline 

salutes  of  all  officers  junior  to  him  and  of  all  enlist- 
ed men.     He  does  not  call  his  troops  to  attention. 

Miscellaneous.  When  mounted,  officers  and  en- 
listed men  salute  with  the  right  hand,  the  left  being 
engaged  with  the  reins. 

An  officer,  mounted,  dismounts  before  addressing 
a  senior  who  is  on  foot. 

A  mounted  soldier  dismounts  before  addressing 
an  officer  not  mounted. 

Soldiers  actually  at  work  do  not  cease  work  to 
salute  unless  addressed  by  an  officer. 

When  an  officer  enters  a  room  where  there  are 
soldiers,  the  word  "Attention"  is  given  by  someone 
who  perceives  him,  when  all  rise  and  remain  stand- 
ing in  the  position  of  a  soldier  until  the  officer  leaves 
the  room. 

The  foregoing  practice  is  not  confined  to  enlisted 
men  indoors.  Men  grouped  on  the  porch  of  bar- 
racks, near  a  tent,  the  guard  tent  or  any  other  place, 
would  be  called  to  attention  by  the  first  one  of  the 
group  to  perceive  an  approaching  officer.  In  strict 
interpretation  of  the  regulations,  all  should  then  sa- 
lute; however,  the  custom  of  permitting  the  senior 
present  to  salute  for  all  has  become  very  generally 
recognized. 

Officers  arriving  at  the  headquarters  of  a  mili- 
tary command,  or  at  a  military  post,  will  call  upon 
the  commander  thereof  as  soon  as  practicable  and 
register  their  names.  If  the  visiting  officer  be  sen- 
ior to  the  commander,  the  former  may  send  a  card, 
in  wrhich  case  it  becomes  the  duty  of  the  commander 
to  make  the  first  call. 


Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline  51 

The  interchange  of  courtesies  between  officers  of 
the  Army  and  Navy  and  between  officers  of  the 
army  and  civil  officers  is  fully  covered  in  the  Army 
Regulations  and  should  be  punctiliously  observed. 

When  troops  have  been  detailed  to  act  as  an  es- 
cort of  honor  to  a  distinguished  visitor,  the  post 
commander  should  always  detail  an  officer  to  act 
as  an  aide  to  the  visitor. 

Upon  the  arrival  of  a  general  officer  in  a  post  or 
camp,  the  commander  should  always  detail  a  ser- 
geant to  report  to  him  as  orderly.  A  private  is  sim- 
ilarly detailed  as  orderly  for  an  Inspector  who  is 
officially  present  at  post  or  camp. 

Customs  of  the  Service.  The  customs  of  the  ser- 
vice constitute  a  vast  code,  unwritten  for  the  most 
part,  which  embraces  practically  every  detail  of  the 
soldier's  official,  social  and  private  relations.  Rep- 
resenting, as  it  does,  the  precedent  and  practice  of 
hundreds  of  years,  it  would  require  volumes  to  re- 
duce it  to  print. 

Even  that  part  which  refers  to  military  courtesy 
alone  is  far  beyond  the  limitation  of  a  work  of  this 
kind.  It  is  a  code  that  can  only  be  fully  compre- 
hended by  daily  practice  and  association  with  mili- 
tary men  in  a  military  atmosphere.  It  can  no  more 
be  reduced  to  definite  rules  than  can  the  code  of 
good  breeding  be  incorporated  in  a  book  on  eti- 
quette. There  are,  however,  certain  semi-official 
customs  which  may  be  briefly  stated  in  a  way  to  be 
of  assistance  to  the  beginner.  Among  these  are : 

The  Form  of  Address.  The  use  of  the  word 
"Sir"  is  more  general  in  conversation  among  mili- 


52  Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline 

tary  men  than  among  civilians  for  the  reason  that 
civilians  are  not  distinguished  from  each  other  by 
as  many  grades  and  ranks.  The  various  regula- 
tions prescribe  the  use  of  the  word  with  reports 
made  at  ceremonies,  etc.,  and  custom  has  prescrib- 
ed its  use  in  all  official  conversation.  An  enlisted 
man  always  makes  use  of  it  in  addressing  an  officer 
and  frequently  when  addressing  a  noncommissioned 
officer.  In  official  conversation  between  officers,  it 
is  never  omitted,  and  it  is  not  at  all  out  of  place  in 
social  conversation  among  officers  of  different  ranks 
or  among  those  of  the  same  ranks  who  are  not  well 
acquainted. 

Use  of  the  Third  Person.  In  the  beginning  of  a 
conversation  with  an  officer,  an  enlisted  man,  ad- 
dresses the  officer  in  the  third  person  and  refers  to 
himself  in  the  same  way;  thereafter,  during  the 
same  conversation,  he  may  properly  use  the  first 
and  second  persons.  For  example:  he  says,  "Sir, 
Private  Smith  has  permission  of  the  First  Sergeant 
to  speak  to  the  Captain."  Wheo  asked  what  he 
wishes,  he  may  properly  say,  "I  would  like  to  ask 
your  permission,  etc." 

Titles.  An  enlisted  man  always  addresses  an  of- 
ficer or  refers  to  him  by  his  proper  military  title. 
When  speaking  to  an  officer,  an  enlisted  man  always 
refers  to  a  noncommissioned  officer  by  his  proper 
title,  such  as,  Sergeant  Jones,  Corporal  Green,  etc. 
He  refers  to  a  private  soldier  as  Private  So-and- 
So.  In  referring  to  a  noncommissioned  officer 
whose  position  is  distinctive,  or  to  whom  the  refer- 
ence is  unmistakable,  he  may  omit  the  name,  giv- 


Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline  53 

ing  the  title  only.  For  example:  he  may  say,  "The 
First  Sergeant,"  when  clearly  referring  to  the  first 
sergeant  of  his  own  company. 

In  all  official  communications,  officers  address 
each  other  and  refer  to  each  other  by  their  proper 
official  titles.  In  the  use  of  the  titles,  there  are  cer- 
tain variations  which  custom  has  recognized,  as  for 
example,  all  general  officers  are  referred  to  and  ad- 
dressed as  General;  a  lieutenant  colonel  is  referred 
to  and  addressed  as  Colonel;  all  lieutenants  are  re- 
ferred to  and  addressed  as  Lieutenant. 

Unofficially,  the  use  of  the  titles  depends  large- 
ly upon  the  degree  of  intimacy  existing  among  the 
officers  themselves.  Seniors  sometimes  omit  the 
title  when  addressing  juniors  whom  they  know  well. 
Officers  of  the  same  grade  very  generally  omit  the 
title  when  addressing  each  other,  except  when  they 
are  not  well  acquainted.  Juniors  sometimes  omit 
the  title  when  addressing  a  senior  with  whom  they 
have  enjoyed  long  acquaintance,  but  the  better  prac- 
tice is  not  to  do  so.  Unofficially,  all  lieutenants 
are  addressed  and  referred  to  as  Mister. 

Calling.  We  have  seen  that  Army  Regulations 
require  a  visiting  officer  to  call  at  the  headquarters 
of  a  command  or  post  and  register  his  name,  etc. 
It  is  the  custom  of  the  service  for  a  visiting  officer 
to  repeat  this  call  socially,  at  the  quarters  of  the 
Commanding  Officer,  within  the  first  twenty-four 
hours  after  his  arrival.  If  in  the  post  for  a  few 
hours  only,  the  second  call  may  be  omitted. 

Custom  requires  all  officers  in  a  post,  garrison  or 
camp  to  call  promptly  on  a  newly-arrived  officer, 


54  Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline 

whatever  his  grade.  It  also  requires  the  new  arriv- 
al to  return  these  calls  promptly.  After  these  first 
calls  have  been  exchanged,  subsequent  calling  is  reg- 
ulated by  the  desires  of  the  individuals  themselves. 

Having  been  entertained  by  a  brother  officer,  cus- 
tom requires  that  a  social  call  be  made  upon  him 
within  one  week. 

It  is  customary  on  New  Year's  Day  to  call  on  the 
Commanding  officer.  The  full  dress  uniform,  with 
side  arms,  is  worn. 

Miscellaneous.  When  walking  or  riding  to- 
gether, the  junior  always  places  himself  on  the  left 
of  the  senior.  If  walking,  he  takes  the  step  of  the 
senior. 

If  smoking,  the  cigar,  pipe  or  cigarette  is  al- 
ways removed  from  the  mouth  before  saluting  or 
addressing  a  senior,  or  before  returning  the  salute 
or  address  of  a  junior.  The  cigar,  pipe  or  cigarette 
should  not  be  held  in  the  hand  with  wrhich  the  salute 
is  returned. 

The  expression  "The  Commanding  Officer  de- 
sires, etc.,  is  always  construed  as  an  unofficial  com- 
mand. 

A  junior  stands  aside  to  permit  a  senior  to  enter 
or  leave  a  room  ahead  of  him. 

A  junior  never  interrupts  a  senior  in  conversa- 
tion. 

When  their  paths  cross,  the  junior  permits  the 
senior  to  pass  first.  Similarly,  a  junior,  at  drill, 
should  not  march  his  company  across  the  immediate 
front  of  an  organization  commanded  by  a  senior. 


Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline  55 

On  the  road,  he  would  give  the  right  of  way  to  the 
senior. 

It  is  considered  an  act  of  courtesy  to  the  adjutant 
to  speak  to  him  before  entering  the  office  of  the  com- 
manding officer. 

It  is  considered  an  act  of  courtesy  to  speak  to  the 
commander  of  an  organization  before  communicat- 
ing verbally  with  a  member  of  the  organization.  A 
written  communication  should  be  addressed  through 
the  commander  of  the  organization. 


56  Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline 

CHAPTER  IV. 
MILITARY  DISCIPLINE. 

The  subject  of  discipline  is  the  phase  of  military 
training  which  the  beginner  generally  experiences 
the  most  difficulty  in  understanding.  The  reason 
for  this  may  be  laid  principally  to  the  popular  and 
incomplete  understanding  of  the  meaning  of  the 
word,  namely,  that  discipline  is  punishment,  where- 
as, as  a  matter  of  fact,  this  conception  includes  only 
a  special  and  secondary  application  of  the  word. 

Definition.  The  word  discipline  is  derived  from 
the  word  disciple,  which  means  one  who  accepts  the 
instruction  or  doctrine  of  another.  Primarily,  to 
discipline  means  to  develop  by  means  of  instruc- 
tion, to  educate,  to  train  according  to  certain  estab- 
lished rules;  secondarily,  it  means  to  punish  by  way 
of  correction,-  and  ihe  first  part  of  the  definition 
best  expresses  the  sense  in  which  the  term  has  its 
greatest  significance  in  the  military  service. 

Military  discipline  has  been  defined  by  many  au- 
thorities. In  their  definitions,  these  authorities 
have  generally  confined  themselves  to  describing  the 
condition  which  we  recognize  as  discipline  without 
indicating  the  manner  in  which  it  is  attained. 

Military  discipline  has  been  sarcastically  defined 
as  being  "The  art  of  inspiring  soldiers  with  more 
fear  of  their  own  officers  than  they  have  for  the 
enemy." 

The  one  who  wrote  the  foregoing  definition  had 


Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline  57 

evidently  observed  the  outward  evidences  of  disci- 
pline, but  had  not  inquired  into  the  means  by  which 
these  evidences  were  attained.  He  assumed  that 
obedience,  in  the  face  of  danger,  could  only  be  pre- 
served through  the  medium  of  the  fear  of  punish- 
ment. 

Home,  in  his  Precis  of  Modern  Tactics,  says, 
"The  willing  subordination  of  mind  and  body  to  the 
call  of  duty  implies  something  more  than  mere  out- 
ward obedience  to  superiors  or  attention  to  drill." 

Following  the  same  line  of  thought,  Goltz  is  of 
the  opinion  that  the  principle  source  of  discipline  in 
an  army  is  to  be  sought  in  moral  influence,  although 
material  conditions  are  not  without  effect. 

Kraft  defines  discipline  as  being  "that  intelligent 
obedience  which  welds  the  independence  of  many 
individuals  into  a  concentrated  whole  and  into  a 
real  power."  This  definition  embodies  briefly  the 
true  spirit  of  military  discipline.  It  is  obvious  that 
sixty-five  men,  no  matter  how  highly  trained  indi- 
vidually, acting  independently,  will  not  possess  the 
same  offensive  or  defensive  power  as  when  their  ef- 
forts have  been  bound  together  by  the  bond  of  discip- 
line and  concentrated  under  the  direction  of  one 
company  commander.  Nor  will  mere  blind  obed- 
ience to  the  orders  of  superiors  accomplish  the  nec- 
essary concentration  of  effort;  the  obedience  must 
be  intelligent. 

The  following  definitions  of  discipline,  by  various 
authorities,  give  an  idea  of  discipline  from  differ- 
ent viewpoints : 

In  his  Customs  of  the  Service,  General  Kautz  de- 


58  Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline 

fines  discipline  as,  "The  preservation  of  order,  the 
prevention  of  all  kinds  of  offense  and  the  faithful 
performance  of  every  kind  of  duty,  without  delay  or 
interruption." 

In  his  Organization  and  Tactics,  General  Wag- 
ner defines  it  in  the  following  words:  ''Discipline 
is  the  quality  possessed  by  efficient  soldiers  which 
causes  each  to  appreciate  and  accept  without  ques- 
tion the  powers  and  limitations  of  his  rank;  which 
inspires  each  with  confidence  in  the  military  stead- 
fastness of  his  comrades  and  makes  obedience  to  his 
lawful  superiors  a  second  nature." 

Murray  defines  it  as,  "The  long  continued  habit 
by  which  the  very  muscles  of  the  soldier  instinctive- 
ly obey  the  word  of  command,  so  that  no  matter  un- 
der what  circumstances  a  man  hears  the  word  of 
command,  even  if  his  mind  is  too  confused  to  attend, 
yet  his  muscles  will  obey." 

Darwin,  in  his  Descent  of  Man,  says  of  discip- 
line, "The  superiority  which  discipline  soldiers  show 
over  undisciplined  masses  is  primarily  the  conse- 
quences of  the  confidence  which  each  has  in  his  com- 
rades." It  may  be  added  that  this  confidence  is 
the  result  of  each  man's  knowledge  of  what  he  and 
his  comrades  are  capable  of  doing  when  they  united 
in  organized,  discipline  teamwork. 

From  the  foregoing  definitions,  it  will  be  seen 
that  the  prevailing  idea  of  military  discipline  is  that 
it  is  a  quality  which  proceeds  from  education  and 
training  rather  than  from  fear,  and  this  conception 
is  borne  out  and  emphasized  in  the  Infantry  Drill 
Regulations  in  its  description  of  Disciplinary  Exer- 


Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline  59 

cises.  It  says,  "Disciplinary  Exercises  are  design- 
ed to  teach  precise  arid  soldierly  movement  and  to 
inculcate  that  prompt  and  subconscious  obedience  to 
command  that  is  essential  to  proper  military  con- 
trol." 

For  our  purposes,  discipline  may  therefore  be  de- 
fined as  being  the  habit  of  intelligent  obedience,  in- 
culcated by  education  and  training,  by  means  of 
which  order,  precision  and  promptness  is  insured  at 
all  times. 

The  Object  of  Military  Discipline.  From  the 
foregoing  discussion,  we  have  seen  that  the  object 
in  general  of  discipline  is  to  secure  intelligent  con- 
centration of  effort.  The  success  of  all  military 
work  depends  upon  the  ability  of  the  commander  to 
enforce  his  will  upon  those  under  him  and  to  cause 
them  to  execute  his  plans  with  promptness  and  pre- 
cision. Unless  he  is  able  to  do  this,  he  cannot  em- 
bark with  assurance  upon  any  plan,  however  sound, 
but  must  always  anticipate  the  possibility  of  its  fail- 
ing through  faulty  execution.  As  the  size  of  the 
command  increases,  this  condition  increases  accord- 
ingly. The  task  of  handling  large  bodies  of  men, 
marching  them,  camping  them,  supplying  them  and 
maneuvering  them  in  battle  is  a  difficult  one  even 
when  the  absolute  order,  precision  and  promptness 
which  we  call  discipline  may  be  relied  upon.  As 
this  condition  of  discipline  decreases,  the  difficul- 
ties of  the  problem  multiply  enormously,  until  a 
point  is  finally  reached  where  it  becomes  a  problem 
without  a  possible  solution.  Without  proper  dis- 


60  Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline 

cipline,  control  is  out  of  the  question  and  military 
employment  becomes  little  more  than  mob  action. 

This  condition  is  not  peculiar  to  the  military  ser- 
vice alone.  In  everything  involving  united  effort, 
men  must  be  trained  to  orderly  and  concerted  ac- 
tion before  efficiency  may  be  expected.  That  which 
we  know  in  the  business  wrorld  as  shop  system  is 
merely  discipline  under  another  name.  For  ex- 
ample: in  a  manufacturing  plant,  an  article  may 
have  to  pass  through  the  hands  of  several  workmen 
before  it  is  finished.  Each  workman  has  a  certain 
definite  task  in  connection  with  the  making  of  the 
article.  Each  man's  task  is  analyzed,  studied  and 
reduced  to  the  least  number  of  movements  or  oper- 
ations, and  the  man  is  trained  until  his  hands  auto- 
matically and  accurately  guide  the  article  through 
these  operations.  It  is  only  when  each  man  who  has 
a  part  to  play  in  the  making  of  the  article  has  been 
trained  to  the  same  precision  and  accuracy,  that  all 
may  work  with  the  maximum  efficiency,  and  that 
the  establishment  may  be  considered  upon  basis  of 
efficiency  and  economy. 

If  this  order  and  discipline  be  considered  neces- 
sary in  commercial  life,  where  labor  is  performed 
day  after  day  under  unvarying  circumstances,  calm- 
ly and  without  distraction,  how  much  greater  must 
be  its  necessity  in  the  military  service  where  the  sol- 
dier's task  cannot  be  reduced  to  a  formula  and  where 
his  serious  work  is  invariably  accompanied  by  the 
confusion  which  goes  with  excitement  and  the  f ear 
of  bodily  injury. 

How  Evidenced.    General  Wagner  says,  "There 


Military  Character)  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline  61 

are  certain  outward  signs  which  are  generally  evi- 
dences of  discipline,  chief  of  which  are  a  careful 
attention  to  the  requirements  of  military  etiquette 
and  ceremonious  marks  of  deference  to  one's  law- 
ful military  superiors.  But  while  these  visible  evi- 
dences of  discipline  are  highly  desirable  and  should 
be  sedulously  cultivated,  they  must  not  be  confound- 
ed with  the  desired  quality  itself.  The  best  eviden- 
ces of  true  discipline  are  found  in  the  unmurmur- 
ing endurance  of  hardships  by  the  soldiers  and  in 
their  willing,  energetic  and  intelligent  efforts  to 
perform  their  whole  duty  in  the  presence  of  the 
enemy!' 

The  most  conclusive  evidence  of  discipline  is  to 
be  found  in  the  conduct  of  the  soldier  when  under 
fire,  and  in  its  description  of  Fire  Discipline,  the 
Infantry  Drill  Regulations  says,  "Fire  Discipline 
implies  that,  in  a  firing  line  without  leaders,  each 
man  retains  his  presence  of  mind  and  directs  ef- 
fective fire  upon  the  proper  target." 

The  cheerful,  intelligent  and  energetic  perfor- 
mance of  duty  under  any  and  all  circumstances  is 
an  unfailing  evidence  of  discipline.  This  means 
that  the  trained  and  disciplined  soldier  is  expected 
to  put  his  best  effort  into  everything  he  does,  en- 
deavoring to  carry  out  the  spirit  of  his  orders,  or,  in 
the  absence  of  orders,  to  that  thing  which  he  thinks 
his  officers  would  want  him  to  do. 

Good  discipline  is  generally  characterized  by 
smart  and  soldierly  appearance  and  by  precise  and 
accurate  execution  of  drill.  However,  the  reverse 
is  not  always  true.  Many  non-military  organiza- 


(j^  Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline 

tions,  totally  without  discipline,  reach  a  high  de- 
gree of  smartness  and  precision  in  drill. 

How  Attained.  We  have  seen  from  the  fore- 
going discussion  that  discipline  is  the  product  of 
proper  training,  accompanied,  as  a  matter  of  course, 
by  judicious  correction  and  restraint.  The  manner 
in  which  discipline  is  to  be  attained  and  the  propor- 
tions in  which  training  and  correction  are  to  be  em- 
ployed depends  largely  upon  the  men  to  be  trained 
and  the  circumstances  under  which  they  are  to  be 
trained. 

When  dealing  with  men  of  intelligence,  or  with 
men  who  are  fired  by  a  great  and  just  purpose,  in- 
struction and  training  are  needed  in  greater  pro- 
portion than  correction.  The  souls  of  such  men 
are  in  their  work.  Their  intelligence  and  the  fix- 
edness of  their  purpose  dictate  to  them  the  wisdom 
of  submitting  themselves  to  the  control  and  direct- 
tion  of  their  leaders.  The  inculcation  of  discipline 
in  such  men  is  largely  a  matter  of  teaching  them 
what  to  do,  training  them  to  do  it  efficiently,  and  of 
appealing  to  their  reason  and  their  sense  of  pride 
to  do  it  to  the  best  of  their  ability. 

The  manner  in  which  this  appeal  should  be  made 
depends  upon  the  men  themselves,  their  purpose, 
their  national  characteristics,  and  the  circumstances 
under  which  they  find  themselves  in  the  military  ser- 
vice. What  will  raise  the  enthusiasm  and  courage 
of  mten  to  fighting  pitch  at  one  time  may  fail  com- 
pletely under  other  circumstances;  what  is  calcu- 
lated to  fire  the  men  of  one  nation  may  merely  ex- 
cite the  derision  of  those  of  another.  Napoleon 


Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline  63 

understood  the  temperament  and  national  character- 
istics of  his  men  arid  stirred  them  deeply  with  dram- 
atic addresses.  Lord  Nelson  rightly  judged  the 
temperamental  caliber  of  his  men  and  his  laconic 
message,  "England  expects  every  man  to  do  his 
duty,"  was  the  most  potent  appeal  he  could  have 
made  to  them. 

General  Sherman  said,  "There  is  a  soul  to  an 
army  as  well  as  to  an  individual  man  and  no  gener- 
al can  accomplish  the  full  work  of  his  army  unless 
he  commands  the  souls  of  his  men  as  well  as  their 
bodies  and  their  legs."  How  well  he  commanded 
the  soul  of  his  army  is  written  in  the  history  of 
the  hardships  and  dangers  through  which  he  was 
able  to  lead  them. 

In  addition  to  understanding  the  souls  and  the 
national  characteristics  of  his  men,  the  successful 
disciplinarian  must  pay  heed  to  psychology,  must 
constantly  feel  the  pulse  of  his  men,  must  consider 
their  physical  condition,  their  mental  condition,  both 
in  employing  them  and  in  administering  disciplin- 
ary punishment  or  correction.  The  leader  who  at- 
tempts to  apply  an  inflexible  standard  of  discipline 
to  all  men  at  all  times  must  inevitably  fail.  Disci- 
pline must  be  adapted  to  circumstances.  Men  who 
are  tired  and  hungry,  unduly  elated  or  unduly  de- 
pressed cannot  be  subjected  to  the  same  standard  of 
discipline  as  men  who  are  in  normal  physical  condi- 
tion and  temper.  Hohenlohe,  in  his  Letters  on  In- 
fantry, cites  the  example  of  an  infantry  regiment 
that  had  suffered  a  repulse  in  an  attack  during  one 
of  the  battles  of  the  Franco-Prussian  War.  Both  of- 


64  Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline 

ficers  and  men  were  ashamed,  depressed  and  in  fear 
of  being  censured  if  not  punished.  A  general  of- 
ficer, observing  their  condition,  rode  up  and  shouted 
to  the  colonel  of  the  regiment,  "Bravo,  Colonel! 
that  was  a  grand  deed!  The  regiment  went  far- 
ther to  the  front  than  any.  It  was  not  your  fault 
that  the  attack  failed."  The  regiment  recovered  its 
spirit  and  almost  immediately  thereafter  gave  am- 
ple proof  of  its  mettle. 

General  Sheridan  would  have  been  justified  by 
every  authority  in  applying  the  severest  disciplin- 
ary measure  to  his  fleeing  troops  at  Winchester,  and 
bearing  in  mind  his  reputation  as  a  disciplinarian, 
he  might  reasonably  have  been  expected  to  do  so, 
but  he  knew  the  temper  of  his  men  at  the  moment 
and  his  shout  of  "Turn  men,  we're  going  back!" 
had  more  effect  than  a  brigade  of  rifles  across  their 
path. 

Disciplinary  Training.  The  Infantry  Drill 
Regulations  indicates  briefly  the  class  of  instruc- 
tion to  be  used  as  disciplinary  training  and,  in  gen- 
eral, the  manner  in  which  it  is  to  be  employed.  It 
states  that  drills  executed  at  attention  and  the  cere- 
monies are  disciplinary  exercises  and  that  smartness 
and  precision  should  be  exacted  in  the  execution  of 
every  detail.  It  also  prescribes  that  each  field  ex- 
ercise should  be  concluded  with  a  brief  drill  at  at- 
tention to  restore  men  to  smartness  and  control. 

In  this  connection,  it  should  be  pointed  out  that 
the  function  of  these  drills  and  exercises  is  not  al- 
ways well  understood.  Many  otherwise  excellent 
officers  seem  to  fail  to  appreciate  them  at  their  true 


Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline  65 

value  and  deliberately  neglect  them  for  the  more 
attractive  and  practical  field  work.  To  those  who 
are  not  familiar  with  the  stern  necessity  for  abso- 
lute disciplinary  control,  the  parade  and  drill  ground 
drudgery  may  seem  a  waste  of  time  and  energy.  It 
may  well  be  asked  by  the  uninitiated:  why  should 
hours,  days,  even  weeks,  be  spent  in  teaching  a  man 
to  stand  in  a  certain  way,  to  walk  after  a  certain 
fashion,  or  to  carry  his  rifle  in  a  certain  position; 
what  difference  does  it  make  whether  he  faces  to  the 
right  about  or  to  the  left  about;  or  whether  he  stands 
next  in  ranks  to  Smith  one  day  and  next  to  Brown 
the  following  day?  Of  themselves,  we  must  admit 
that  these  details  are  not  important.  As  disciplin- 
ary training,  they  are  all-important.  They  are  part 
of  the  process  by  which  the  man  is  trained  to  regard 
every  detail  of  military  duty  as  a  task  requiring 
precise  and  accurate  execution ;  part  of  the  process 
of  habituating  his  muscles  to  prompt  and  subcon- 
scious obedience  to  command;  in  other  words;  they 
are  part  of  the  process  by  which  the  man  is  trained 
to  do  his  duty  accurately  and  precisely  in  spite  of 
himself.  It  is  the  process  by  which  the  control  of 
men  is  insured.  The  duties  of  the  soldier  are  not 
intricate  or  difficult  of  performance.  They  are 
within  the  grasp  of  any  man  of  ordinary  intelli- 
gence, and  the  object  of  the  exhaustive  and  reiter- 
ated training  in  their  performance  is  not  so  much 
to  teach  him  how  to  do  them,  as  to  insure  that  he 
will  always  do  them  accurately  and  promptly  when 
he  is  told. 

The  desired  condition  of  disciplinary     training 


66  Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline 

may  be  illustrated  by  the  action  of  a  trained  sol- 
dier in  executing  the  manual  of  arms.  He  will  ex- 
ecute any  number  of  the  movements,  in  whatever 
sequence  they  may  be  ordered,  with  machine-like 
accuracy  and  precision,  and  at  the  end  of  the  exer- 
cise will  be  unable,  except  in  the  most  general  way, 
to  describe  what  he  has  executed,  thus  indicating 
conclusively  that  his  response  to  the  voice  of  com- 
mand has  been  almost  entirely  subconscious. 

Without  entering  into  a  discussion  of  the  rela- 
tive values  of  disciplinary  and  field  training,  it  is 
sufficient  to  say  that,  without  control,  all  training 
loses  much  of  its  value.  Moreover,  with  men  under 
proper  control,  the  labor  of  instructing  them  and 
training  them  is  reduced  to  the  minimum.  They 
need  only  be  told  what  to  do  and  how  to  do  it. 

Discipline,  How  Promoted.  We  have  seen  that 
instruction  and  training  is  the  first  and  best  method 
of  promoting  discipline.  In  addition,  it  may  be 
promoted  by  means  of  judicious  rewards  for  good 
work  and  good  conduct  and  of  punishment  for  poor 
work  and  misbehavior. 

One  phase  of  disciplinary  instruction  has  not  yet 
been  touched  upon.  It  is  that  of  the  instruction 
in  orders,  regulations  and  customs  of  the  service. 
When  the  newcomer  enters  the  military  service,  he 
finds  himself  amid  surroundings  and  in  an  atmos- 
phere entirely  new  and  strange  to  him.  He  is  con- 
fronted by  new  conditions  of  life  and  his  conduct 
is  regulated  by  an  array  of  rules  and  regulations 
foreign  to  anything  he  has  known  before.  Unless 
he  is  carefully  instructed  in  these  rules  and  reg- 


Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline  67 

ulations,  he  will  unintentionally  and  constantly  vio- 
late them,  in  other  words,  will  learn  them  only  by 
breaking  them.  This  will  give  rise  to  constant  cor- 
rection and  it  will  not  be  long  before  the  recruit 
will  be  convinced  that  it  is  impossible  for  him  to  do 
anything  properly ;  his  simplest  task  will  take  on  the 
character  of  an  intricate  and  difficult  performance 
and  in  the  end,  he  will  be  discouraged  into  hopeless 
stupidity. 

Judicious  rewards  have  the  same  effect  in  the  mili- 
tary service  as  elsewhere.  Men  in  every  walk  of 
life  like  to  feel  that  their  work  is  appreciated.  The 
soldier  possibly  has  more  of  this  feeling  than  the 
average  man  in  civil  life,  since  in  civil  life  good 
work  brings  its  own  rewards  in  material  form  not 
possible  in  the  military  service.  When  the  soldier 
has  merely  done  his  duty,  there  is  no  occasion  to 
commend  him — he  has  merely  done  what  he  has 
been  paid  to  do.  Undue  praise  in  time  will  con- 
vey to  him  the  idea  that  his  conduct  has  been  ex- 
ceptional when  he  merely  does  his  duty.  On  the 
other  hand,  to  withhold  all  praise  or  reward  from 
him,  no  matter  how  faithful  his  work  may  be,  will 
result  in  discouraging  him  and  leading  him  to  be- 
lieve that  it  does  not  matter  how  he  does  his  work. 
There  is  no  rule  to  follow.  Each  man  presents  a 
different  case.  When  a  man  has  done  his  duty  ex- 
ceptionally well,  tell  him  so;  if  only  fairly  well,  tell 
him  nothing;  if  poorly,  tell  him  so.  In  general  the 
reward  most  appreciated  by  the  soldier,  is  the  assur- 
ance, conveyed  to  him  in  a  dignified  manner,  that  he 
enjoys  the  confidence  and  the  esteem;  of  his  seniors. 


68  Military  Character,  Habit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline 

All  men  do  not  enter  the  service  with  the  idea 
of  giving  faithful  service.  Many  men  who  are 
careless  and  indifferent,  or  who  are  opposed  to  all 
idea  of  restraint  and  order  find  their  way  into  the 
service  and  spend  the  years  of  their  enlistment  in  en- 
deavoring to  evade  their  duties  and  responsibili- 
ties. With  these  men  discipline  must  be  enforced 
by  means  of  punishment.  A  dread  of  punishment 
must  be  made  to  exceed  their  laziness  and  their 
hatred  of  restraint.  The  fear  of  their  officers  must 
exceed  that  of  the  enemy. 

In  the  use  of  disciplinary  punishment,  however, 
the  fundamental  idea  should  be  that  it  is  imperson- 
al; that  it  is  not  inflicted  by  the  individual,  but  by 
the  office  he  holds;  that  it  is  not  inflicted  with  the 
desire  to  show  superiority  or  authority,  but  from  a 
sense  of  duty;  not  for  the  purpose  of  injuring,  but 
for  the  purpose  of  correcting. 

The  Army  Regulations  prescribe  that,  "Military 
authority  will  be  exercised  with  firmness,  kindness 
and  justice.  Punishments  must  conform  to  the  law 
and  follow  offenses  as  promptly  as  circumstances 
will  permit.  Superiors  are  forbidden  to  injure 
those  under  their  authority  by  tyrannical  or  capri- 
cious conduct  or  by  abusive  language." 

Punishment  should  be  suited  to  the  offender  as 
well  as  to  the  offense.  It  is  the  boast  of  some  offic- 
ers that  all  men  look  alike  to  them,  a  statement 
equivalent  to  an  admission  of  inefficiency.  No  two 
men  are  alike  in  disposition  or  temperament  any 
more  than  they  are  in  physical  appearance,  and  the 
regulations  of  the  military  service  cannot  make  them 


Military  Character,  Habit,  DepQrtw*jnt»&tiutieG$J&^\pttne  69 

so.  The  punishment  which  may  be  effective  with 
one  man  may  merely  serve  to  aggravate  another  to 
further  misconduct.  There  are  many  cases  where 
an  admonition,  properly  administered,  is  of  more 
value  as  a  corrective  measure  than  a  sentence  of  a 
month  in  the  guard  house.  To  make  his  discipline 
effective,  the  officer  must  study  his  men  and  fit  his 
punishment  to  their  offenses  as  he  does  their  clothes 
to  their  bodies. 

The  mistake  is  frequently  made  of  thinking  that 
punishment  must  be  severe  in  order  to  be  effective. 
Such  is  not  the  case.  Severe  punishment  is  apt  to 
react  and  make  the  man  so  punished  stubborn  and 
unrepentant;  it  should  be  reserved  for  wilful  diso- 
bedience and  misbehavior.  If  in  doubt  as  to  which 
of  two  punishments  to  give  a  man,  give  him  the 
lighter  of  the  two,  holding  the  severer  one  in  re- 
serve. Statistics  show  conclusively  that  in  armies 
where  the  code  of  disciplinary  punishments  is  severe 
and  inflexible,  the  discipline  is  correspondingly  low 
and  the  reverse.  It  is  said  on  the  best  of  authority 
that  the  standard  of  discipline  was  never  higher  in 
the  German  Army  than  during  the  period  immed- 
iately preceding  and  during  the  Franco-Prussian 
War  when  their  code  of  punishment  was  exceed- 
ingly mild.  On  the  other  hand,  Farrar,  in  his 
Military  Manners,  says,  "The  conduct  of  the  Brit- 
ish Army  was  never  worse  than  in  the  days  when 
1000  lashes  were  common  sentences." 

The  essential  feature  of  disciplinary  punishment 
should  not  be  severity,  but  should  be  the  prompt  and 


70  MtlHafy  Character,  H.abit,  Deportment,  Courtesy,  Discipline 

unfailing  visitation  of  correction  upon  those  who 
deserve  it,  until  it  comes  to  be  regarded  as  the  in- 
evitable consequence  of  misconduct,  just  as  a  child 
comes  to  regard  a  painful  burn  as  the  consequence 
of  playing  with  fire. 


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